“Wholeness is not achieved by cutting off a portion of one’s being, but by integration of the contraries.”
~ Carl Jung
Continuing with the theme of The Questions We Ask in the pursuit of psychological wholeness, today’s blog explores Question #2:
In what ways do you integrate your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to create a cohesive identity?
In his epic poem Song of Myself from Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman wrote: “Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. (I am large, I contain multitudes).”
Whitman offered this verse as a compassionate tribute to himself. With the expansive understanding of a poet, he acknowledged his contradictions and idiosyncrasies, recognizing them as a natural part of human consciousness. Rather than viewing these parts of his identity as flaws to be eradicated, he embraced them as a reality to be accepted.
Just as the constellations in the sky are real but not always visible at first glance, we must deepen our perception to connect the dots of our various parts and build a bridge toward wholeness.
How do you connect the dots of your diverse, often incongruous personality parts?
Can you cultivate curiosity, compassion, and ultimately acceptance for the polarized ideas, feelings, and impulses that live within your sense of self?
Just as conflicts within our external families can result in fractured relationships, we also carry internal conflicts that lead to feelings of emotional and mental fragmentation.
As Jung wisely noted: “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” This suggests that we cannot grow beyond our limited sense of self by harshly judging or denying our contradictions. Only when we turn toward our inner light of compassion and bring awareness to our perceived flaws can we create a cohesive identity.
You can explore all Ten Questions at fullnessofyou.com/ten-questions.