What are Archetypes

Have you ever resonated with something you have seen or heard about before, perhaps a story about a child taking care of their mother or about a hero dispensing righteous justice upon the wicked? If so, then you have probably come across an archetype before. 

Typically, an “archetype” means an ideal version of a person or a concept, and Carl Jung’s definition of the same word really doesn’t fall far from the tree. According to him, an archetype is a set of universal thoughts and concepts that each inform the way we behave. 

Of course, it’s much more complicated than that. As you shall soon find out, an archetype does not come out of thin air, and instead works in such a way that it draws strength from both ancestral memory and individual aspirations, while at the same time benefiting the people from whom these archetypes derive their meaning.

In other words, archetypes draw their meaning from your experiences just as much as you draw meaning in what they represent. This also means that the role an archetype plays in your life is massive in that they help you figure out who you are, what you want to be, and what you need to fix in your life.

For the renowned psychologist Carl Jung, there are 5 of these common archetypes, and each of these serve a purpose in our psychological development: Persona, Shadow, Anima, Animus, and the Self. The ultimate goal in this regard is to ensure that you have mastery over all the archetypes and ensure you take none of these for granted.

Therefore, this explainer shall provide the basics for these archetypes and certain scenarios and situations where these archetypes might play out and how you can best look after your psychological health.