“The upheaval of our world and the upheaval in consciousness is one and the same. Everything becomes relative and therefore doubtful. And while man, hesitant and questioning, contemplates… his spirit yearns for an answer that will allay the turmoil of doubt and uncertainty.”
So wrote Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology. Jung was also interested in and influenced by philosophy, sociology, religion and spirituality.
I
Trump, Kanye and Kimye and the blur between reality and reality TV
We are all living in a period of great uncertainty where our politicians and the major parties are no longer trusted (see the political rise of showmen like Donald Trump in the US and our own One Nation’s resurge.) The problems of globalisation, immigration, warfare and refugees, economic cycles, ageing populations, industry and technology and of course climate change have rendered us all into a state of unknowingness and sometimes fear. Trump and his often unstructured and simplistic rants wouldn’t have made it to second base in past US Presidential campaigns let alone get endorsed by the conservative Republican party if he wasn’t striking a chord with alienated, scared voters who no longer trust their politicians.
Trump is also a reality TV star so maybe Kanye and Kimye could be future Commander in Chief and his first lady. This says a lot about the pre-occupation with celebrity and branding. It’s more fun hanging out in billionaires mansions than listening to men in suits talking about fiscal policy + we get to live their lives vicariously (and escape our own) for an hour a week.
As human beings, we crave certainty around our lives as this gives us control.
In reality there is no certainty much less control. We can be comfortably off and get sick. We can be employed and lose a job through no fault of our own. Our bread winning industry can go off-shore. In a lot of ways, life is random and full of paradoxes.
It’s hard to live this way but there is no choice and often pain and hardship open doors that were not visible through the haze of contentment.
The shoulds
Many years ago I was introduced to ‘The shoulds.’ It goes like this:
We should have a job and do well. We should be happy in our personal lives and have rich and fulfilling relationships. We should always do the right thing and not make mistakes.
Shoulds also relate to others in our lives:
Friends should be true and stick by you.
Family should be there for you.
Managers and employers should recognise you for your work and enthusiasm.
Shoulds let us down and make us naive.
Let go of the shoulds both for yourself and others in your life.
Be open to change because it’s rapid nowadays.
Instead enrich yourself with learning, creating and thinking outside of yourself.