I confess. I find Jung hard to read. I put this in AI.
" Jung is saying that in society, small groups of people often try to stir things up and cause trouble, taking advantage of the kindness and sense of justice in Western culture.
The only real defense against their influence is a certain number of smart and mentally strong individuals who can think critically, but this group is smaller than we might hope—maybe 40% in some places, or even less in others.
Most people don’t always think deeply or clearly, and when large groups form, individuals tend to follow the crowd rather than think for themselves. This can be dangerous because it makes it easier for strict and controlling leaders to take over, especially if the government becomes weak.
Jung is warning that if too many people stop thinking for themselves, society could fall under the control of dangerous ideas or authoritarian rulers."
Maybe I'm a Pollyanna. But I'm inspired by truth tellers becoming more and more mainstream. Journalists who aren't fear mongers doing click bait, but aren't afraid to stick their neck out, like Whitney Webb, who is getting interviewed more and more.
I also think the 80/20 principle is a reflection of something extremely powerful. How this reality functions. It takes less people than we think to make big differences.
The crazies making trouble, make a lot of noise. It's easy to feel hopeless.
But there's an awful lot going on that doesn't make big headlines. Ordinary people, who are thinking for themselves, and taking actions, in their own way.
Thanks for this, great to see you back writing, Jung's The Undiscovered Self has given me the greatest understanding of what is happening in the world. Your above quote enhances that.
“Instead of the concrete individual, you have the names of organizations and, at the highest point, the abstract idea of the State as the principle of political reality. The moral responsibility of the individual is then inevitably replaced by the policy of the State (raison d’etat). Instead of moral and mental differentiation of the individual, you have public welfare and the raising of the living standard. The goal and meaning of individual life (which is the only real life) no longer lie in the individual development but in the policy of the State, which is thrust upon the individual from outside and consists in the execution of an abstract idea which ultimately tends to attract all life to itself. The individual is increasingly deprived of the moral decision as to how he should live his own life, and instead is ruled, fed, clothed, and educated as a social unit, accommodated in the appropriate housing unit, and amused in accordance with the standards that give pleasure and satisfaction to the masses. The rulers, in their turn, are just as much social units as the ruled, and are distinguished only by the fact they are specialized mouthpieces of State doctrine. They do not need to be personalities capable of judgment, but thoroughgoing specialists who are unusable outside their line of business. State policy decides what shall be taught and studied.”
“The dictator State has one great advantage over bourgeois reason: along with the individual it swallows up his religious forces. The State takes the place of God; that is why, seen from this angle, the socialist dictatorships are religions and State slavery is a form of worship. But the religious function cannot be dislocated and falsified in this way without giving rise to secret doubts, which are immediately repressed so as to avoid conflict with the prevail trend towards mass-mindedness. […] The policy of the State is exalted to a creed, the leader or party boss becomes a demigod beyond good and evil, and his votaries are honoured as heroes, martyrs, apostles, missionaries. There is only one truth and beside it no other. It is sacrosanct and above criticism. Anyone who thinks differently is a heretic, who, as we know from history, is threatened with all manner of unpleasant things. Only the party boss, who holds the political power in his hands, can interpret the State doctrine authentically, and he does so just as suits him.”
Jung warns that when the State becomes too powerful, individuals lose their freedom and responsibility, turning into mere parts of a system rather than independent thinkers. The government decides what is right, how people should live, and even what they should believe, reducing both leaders and citizens to functionaries rather than individuals. In totalitarian societies, the State often replaces religion, with leaders treated like sacred figures who cannot be questioned, enforcing a single “truth” while punishing dissenters like heretics. When this happens, people stop thinking for themselves and blindly follow authority, and because humans need meaning and purpose, political ideologies start functioning like religions—even if people secretly have doubts they are too afraid to express.
I confess. I find Jung hard to read. I put this in AI.
" Jung is saying that in society, small groups of people often try to stir things up and cause trouble, taking advantage of the kindness and sense of justice in Western culture.
The only real defense against their influence is a certain number of smart and mentally strong individuals who can think critically, but this group is smaller than we might hope—maybe 40% in some places, or even less in others.
Most people don’t always think deeply or clearly, and when large groups form, individuals tend to follow the crowd rather than think for themselves. This can be dangerous because it makes it easier for strict and controlling leaders to take over, especially if the government becomes weak.
Jung is warning that if too many people stop thinking for themselves, society could fall under the control of dangerous ideas or authoritarian rulers."
Maybe I'm a Pollyanna. But I'm inspired by truth tellers becoming more and more mainstream. Journalists who aren't fear mongers doing click bait, but aren't afraid to stick their neck out, like Whitney Webb, who is getting interviewed more and more.
I also think the 80/20 principle is a reflection of something extremely powerful. How this reality functions. It takes less people than we think to make big differences.
The crazies making trouble, make a lot of noise. It's easy to feel hopeless.
But there's an awful lot going on that doesn't make big headlines. Ordinary people, who are thinking for themselves, and taking actions, in their own way.
Even if I am being a Pollyanna. Good for me.
.
Thanks for this, great to see you back writing, Jung's The Undiscovered Self has given me the greatest understanding of what is happening in the world. Your above quote enhances that.
“Instead of the concrete individual, you have the names of organizations and, at the highest point, the abstract idea of the State as the principle of political reality. The moral responsibility of the individual is then inevitably replaced by the policy of the State (raison d’etat). Instead of moral and mental differentiation of the individual, you have public welfare and the raising of the living standard. The goal and meaning of individual life (which is the only real life) no longer lie in the individual development but in the policy of the State, which is thrust upon the individual from outside and consists in the execution of an abstract idea which ultimately tends to attract all life to itself. The individual is increasingly deprived of the moral decision as to how he should live his own life, and instead is ruled, fed, clothed, and educated as a social unit, accommodated in the appropriate housing unit, and amused in accordance with the standards that give pleasure and satisfaction to the masses. The rulers, in their turn, are just as much social units as the ruled, and are distinguished only by the fact they are specialized mouthpieces of State doctrine. They do not need to be personalities capable of judgment, but thoroughgoing specialists who are unusable outside their line of business. State policy decides what shall be taught and studied.”
“The dictator State has one great advantage over bourgeois reason: along with the individual it swallows up his religious forces. The State takes the place of God; that is why, seen from this angle, the socialist dictatorships are religions and State slavery is a form of worship. But the religious function cannot be dislocated and falsified in this way without giving rise to secret doubts, which are immediately repressed so as to avoid conflict with the prevail trend towards mass-mindedness. […] The policy of the State is exalted to a creed, the leader or party boss becomes a demigod beyond good and evil, and his votaries are honoured as heroes, martyrs, apostles, missionaries. There is only one truth and beside it no other. It is sacrosanct and above criticism. Anyone who thinks differently is a heretic, who, as we know from history, is threatened with all manner of unpleasant things. Only the party boss, who holds the political power in his hands, can interpret the State doctrine authentically, and he does so just as suits him.”
I put this in AI too Andrew.....
Jung warns that when the State becomes too powerful, individuals lose their freedom and responsibility, turning into mere parts of a system rather than independent thinkers. The government decides what is right, how people should live, and even what they should believe, reducing both leaders and citizens to functionaries rather than individuals. In totalitarian societies, the State often replaces religion, with leaders treated like sacred figures who cannot be questioned, enforcing a single “truth” while punishing dissenters like heretics. When this happens, people stop thinking for themselves and blindly follow authority, and because humans need meaning and purpose, political ideologies start functioning like religions—even if people secretly have doubts they are too afraid to express.
Very interesting times Alex