The 5 Common Jungian Archetypes

In Jungian psychology, there are five archetypes that each reveal certain components of the human psyche. As you know, the psyche is in fact a very complicated amalgamation of thought processes, past experiences, and various other precedents that each form your identity.

This identity, naturally, is built over the course of one’s life. As you deal with challenges and provide a more nuanced response to the situation around you, your personality also begins to change for better or for worse. Sadly, however, not everyone is able to make progress in a good way, and some tend to live life almost perennially unfulfilled.

This is why there is a need to fully understand how the self ticks. One way to do this is by going through the 5 Jungian archetypes, as all of these exist within you, and each shall serve as a reminder that there is always a way you can do better and reconcile with yourself in some way.

Persona

Within the Jungian archetypes, the most obvious one has to be the Persona archetype. After all, it is a reflection of your conscious mind. It is the thing that we project to the people around us to help facilitate social interaction and conform with what is considered socially acceptable. In other words, what you project unto others willingly is the public image you put out– or your persona.

The thing with the Persona is that it varies from person to person and from experience to experience. Just like an actual mask, you tend to wear one of many across many different scenarios. For example, as an employee, you would wear a more formal-looking social mask of professionalism.

And as a family member, you would likely show a more relaxed version of yourself. Of course, just because it’s a figurative mask, doesn’t mean it’s not a part of your true self. Indeed, what you are is also what you project unto others. However, your psyche works in such a way that it tries to fit into various situations.

This, in turn, makes people aware of the kind of person you want to be in front of them. Since people often project themselves in a more favorable light, therefore, you could say that your Persona is your most personable part (no pun intended). It is your social self, and it is also a facet of your own true nature.

Shadow

The Shadow archetype is that which one chooses not to reveal to the world around them. In a way, it is your dark side, so to speak. Your personal Shadow is a combination of all the things that the world around you may find unacceptable, such as your sexual urges, your insecurities, or even your darker, alternate personalities such as pride.

Of course, despite the seemingly evil nature of this side of the Self, it is actually in fact an attempt on your part to adapt to society’s needs and expectations of you. For example, all human beings have sexual urges, but because society has unwritten rules regarding sexual and social interaction alike, you cannot just act on your desires. Thus, you have to keep your more unruly side buried.

Now, one thing you need to note about the Shadow is that because it is something you repress by default, it can be difficult to contend or grapple with its truth. You may even see fit to deny that aspect of yourself, even though it is a part of you, simply because the expectations of the world– and indeed, yourself– are too much.

This is why there has to be a conscious acknowledgment on your part of its existence and an attempt to reconcile with it. As soon as you can understand this basic truth, you will have a better grasp of your Shadow. By extension, this also means that you will better grasp who you really are as a human being.

Anima

Carl Jung speculated that the sexes have a more nuanced psyche than just what their genders would suggest. A man, for example, is not exclusively about thinking and logic. In this regard, the Anima archetype refers to the “female” aspect of the male psyche. The male Anima, in this case, consists of all characteristics typically associated with feminine nature, such as empathy, sensitivity, and emotional attachment.

However, because of the emotional nature of the feminine Anima, it is imperative to understand that it is also associated with the negative aspects of the same archetype. This includes, for example, paranoia, anxiety, hysteria, distrust, obsession, and all other negative emotions. 

On a positive note, the Anima helps men become a lot more empathetic both from a social and a personal perspective. You have the ability to understand the subtext behind people’s emotions, for one.

On the other hand, however, the negative element, which usually occurs as a result of being unable to express your female quality, surfaces in ways that could be disruptive to other people. Rather than focusing your emotional energy outward, you begin to focus inward. This disrupts your ability to understand others.

As such, Jung believed that the Anima has to be nurtured and acknowledged. You need to allow your emotional faculties to be made known, at least on a personal level, as this results in a more holistic understanding of yourself.

Animus

In Jungian psychology, the Animus archetype is seen as the opposite of the Anima, in that instead of it being manifestation of the female psyche on the male mind, it is that of the male psyche on the woman’s mind. Likewise, the Animus is also the Anima’s counterpart in terms of its effects on a woman’s psyche. Whilst men become more passionate through their Anima, women become more astute and logical through their Animus.

Modern manifestations of the Animus include characters in literature that tend to embody women’s more “masculine” side. Now, this isn’t to say that the Animus is just the man’s mind in a woman’s psyche, either. However, it does mean that the Animus adds further context in the way women would usually behave on both conscious and subconscious levels. For example, women who acknowledge their Animus are more assertive than those who have problems.

In contrast, those who are unable to acknowledge their Animus tend to become increasingly aggressive rather than assertive, or logical rather than empathetic. Much like the Shadow, it too requires a sense of awareness on the part of the person holding the psyche to truly grasp their Animus. It has negative and positive qualities alike, and only by fully realizing the Animus will one achieve a sense of wholeness.

Self 

The Self archetype serves more as an aspiration for all of humankind, as it is the entire, consolidated Self that has wrestled with insecurity and acknowledged its multiple facets in order to form a much stronger whole. Fittingly, Jung believed that the Self is essentially the fulfillment of a cycle or the making of a whole, and indeed, one can easily see why.

In Jungian psychology, the Self manifests in a process that Jung calls “individuation.” This individuation process is often tough as it requires many years of grappling with one’s worst insecurities and perhaps the dregs of the human psyche. 

You cannot fully achieve selfhood, for example, if you are unable to wrestle with the fact that a part of you is insecure about your friend’s achievements in terms of career, for example.

According to Jung, when these resentments bubble up within the human mind and are not contented with in such a way that results in acknowledgment, there can only be catastrophic effects in the human psyche as the ensuing conflict wreaks havoc on one’s mind. 

This is why there is extensive work out there on the fulfillment of the Self and becoming whole, as all of this leads to a better life and a healthier state of mind.