Life wisdom from Carl Jung, a leading psychologist for middle-aged people.
Based on some 40 aphorisms left behind by Jung and his disciples, it addresses the challenges of the "opposite" that must be faced after the age of forty.
Embracing the countless love and hate, joy and sorrow, happiness and unhappiness that come and go in life, it explores what true self-realization is and how to begin a 'second life'.
The author, who has counseled various family members and middle-aged and older people for decades, synthesizes his counseling cases as well as his own experiences and daily reflections to unravel the essence of Jungian psychology.
If you calmly contemplate the meaning of aphorisms along with elegant masterpieces placed in appropriate places, you will be able to reach the 'true self' and 'secrets of life' that your subconscious tells you.

“Therefore, even though I am disappointed in my life, I am not disappointed.”
This can be said to be what Jung realized at the end of his life as he synthesized his research and the meaning of life.
Although he feels foolish and regretful for ignoring the advice of those around him and stubbornly pursuing his goals, he also achieves his academic goals thanks to it.
The countless mistakes and failures we experience throughout life bring about regret and reflection, but thanks to them, we also receive unexpected gifts from life.
Life does not run in a straight line in one direction, but always has two opposing sides.
--- From the "Prologue"

I would like to say that after forty, when middle age begins in earnest, change is not a choice but a necessity and survival itself.
At first glance, the midlife crisis appears to be a problem intertwined with changes in economic and social status.
But there is a more fundamental problem than these environmental factors.
It is a problem that arises from within oneself.
It is necessary to reflect on how you have maintained relationships with the outside world, such as your family, school, and work, and how you have managed your inner world.
This is something you must do to prepare for the changes that will occur within you.
--- From "When I was about forty, my inner self began to swirl"

When a person develops his or her ego well, he or she becomes more rational, reasonable, and moral.
Then it is easy to think that the dark, impulsive, and instinctive parts have been eliminated or overcome.
But Jung didn't see it that way.
I thought that humans were not beings that could be ruled by just one characteristic.
Just because the bright side (light) grows doesn't mean the dark side (shadow) disappears, it just means it's hidden in the damp, dark depths, not revealed.
The problem is that as the light gets brighter, the shadows also get darker, and if the opportunity arises, they can explode and be revealed.
So even if a person appears moral and rational on the outside, the shadow hidden inside can cause greater danger.
--- From "As the light grows brighter, the shadows grow bigger"

The positive anima (the feminine in a man) is expressed in caring, emotional expression, patience, and above all, a warm and considerate attitude.
Positive animus (masculine nature within a woman) manifests as strength, logical thinking, drive to act, and energy.
Those who, by middle age, accept and integrate the opposites of their unconscious personalities into their lives will live happy lives.
So we often see middle-aged men who are gentle and empathetic, and middle-aged women who influence those around them with their drive and strong energy.
If we have looked upon such people with envy, understanding why they were able to become that way can be the beginning of change.
--- From "A healthy man is feminine, a healthy woman is masculine"

When you confine yourself to one persona, other personalities that have been suppressed deep inside you suddenly burst out.
While they may appear to be exemplary people in society, they can become tyrannical once they get home, venting their frustration and anger on their family.
When there is a difference between how a person is at home and how they are outside the home, family members call that person a "split personality" or a "narcissist" and try to distance themselves from the relationship.
As there are significant differences between inside and outside the home, there are also extreme differences in attitudes toward family members, which leads to conflict.
As a result, he develops neurotic symptoms such as depression, lethargy, anxiety, fear, and physical weakness, or these symptoms occur in his family.
All of these symptoms are warning signs that middle-aged people are moving away from their 'self', the center of their minds.
--- From "Abandonment is an opportunity to discover a new me"

In a competitive society, no one can avoid feeling inferior.
Therefore, rather than being careful or preventing yourself from feeling inferior, what is important is how you deal with your inferiority complex.
The first step to dealing with inferiority complex is to acknowledge it within yourself.
If I try hard to deny the fact that I feel inferior, the inferiority complex will become my complex and dominate me.
Then my emotions and actions will be driven by my inferiority complex rather than my will.
Simply put, realizing that 'I am currently suffering from an inferiority complex' is the starting point for dealing with inferiority complex.
--- From "Don't ignore your inferiority complex, deal with it wisely"

The work Younghee had to do to recover from her trauma was to recognize that the wounds of abandonment from her childhood still existed within her, and that she was constantly on guard against being hurt again.
This realization was uncomfortable and difficult to accept, but it was also an important insight.
As Younghee reflected on the experience, she realized that the trauma and anxiety of her childhood had made her more sensitive and cherishing of family relationships, and that it had also made her a more careful mother to ensure that her children would not suffer the same trauma.
--- From "Contempt for myself creates contempt for others"

This was the most important task that Jung addressed in psychotherapy.
Because we have lost the myths handed down from our ancestors, we face a problem of mental opposites, and to resolve this, we must summon the mythical beings hidden in our unconscious and actively engage with them again.
Jung believed that if we understand and accept the worldview of mythology, we can experience life from within rather than from without, and recover our true selves.
--- From "Myth is the oldest healing method"

Self-realization and individualization are challenges that one faces not in youth but in middle age.
The so-called 'midlife crisis' is something that people who are facing the task of self-realization experience.
If everything is comfortable and everything is going well, there is no reason to embark on a journey of self-realization or individualization.
But if you are a middle-aged person who is suffering from wounds and pain, the process of self-realization has already begun.

--- From "Self-realization begins only when you are confused"