Jung On Judgement
The Life They Mock Is the Life They Were Born to Live
I received a little digital dusting of hate last week. Just a sprinkle of disgust. Nothing major.
The comment started like a tip of the cap, then turned into a verbal flip of the finger.
Years ago, that would’ve derailed my day, or my entire week. Like a bad pop song, I couldn't get it out of my head.
As a freshman in college, I majored in Art. I’ll never forget the ‘walk to the wall.’ I’d hang my work and shuffle back to my seat, scanning faces for proof that my work was doo-doo on canvas.
These days, putting work into the world doesn’t hit my nervous system the same way; however, visibility can still feel like danger. I simply thank the system for operating and dive into the murky water.
Instead of sulking over the comment, I paused. I looked deeper, beyond the faceless profile, and responded with kindness.
Because thinking and creating are hard tasks. Judgment is easy. But behind the judgement lies the real struggle.
Before I had the chance to bring it up to a mentor, Carl Jung intervened:
"The world is full of people suffering from the effects of their own unlived life. They become bitter, critical, or rigid, not because the world is cruel to them, but because they have betrayed their own inner possibilities. The artist who never makes art becomes cynical about those who do. The lover who never risks loving mocks romance. The thinker who never commits to a philosophy sneers at belief itself. And yet, all of them suffer, because deep down they know: the life they mock is the life they were meant to live."
Five years ago, Jung's words hit like a swarm of wasps. Now, they remind me that hate is a soft reminder, a lighthouse signaling safe passage. It means I'm heading in the right direction, not just floating aimlessly with the goal to appease.
If Jung's words stir something in you, follow that thread like a needle pulling at a long-lost seam.
It’s never too late to weave up a dream.
We can run late or we can enjoy the walk, embedded in a moment that's right on time. It's the only moment we'll ever have.
"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” JFK
Kindness touches the woundedness in all of us. When I respond with empathy, acceptance and ignore the “trash talk” I am often rewarded with the same. Thanks for the lovely Jung quote.