Marie-Louise von Franz was a Swiss psychologist who closely collaborated with Carl Jung from 1933 until his death in 1961.

One of von Frans' primary topics of interest was fairy tales, for like myths.

Fairy tales contain timeless wisdom that teaches us about the human condition.

Jung believed that so much wisdom was contained in the fairy tale that he once told von

Franz that, when you study fairy tales, you can study the anatomy of man.

After years of interpreting fairy tales from cultures spanning the globe and throughout all periods of history,

von Franz came to an important conclusion concerning the lessons they teach.

No matter the message contained in a fairy tale, you can almost always find a contradicting

message in another fairy tale. Von Frans called this the rule of contradiction, or as she explains,

I can tell you stories which say that if you meet evil, you must fight it.

But there are just as many which say you must run away and not try to fight it.

Some say to suffer without hitting back, others say, don't be a fool, hit back.

There are stories which say that if you are confronted with evil, the only thing to do is lie your way out of it.

Others say no, be honest,

even towards the devil, and don't become involved with the lying. For all these, I could give you

examples, but it is always a yes and a no. There are just as many stories which say the one as the

other. Upon discovering the rule of contradiction, von Frans was disappointed, as she hoped to find

lessons that were timeless and indisputable.

But after further reflection, she came to realize that the rule of contradiction makes sense.

The challenges and predicaments of life are countless.

There is no one path that is right for everyone, and when faced with an ethical dilemma,

it is in choosing between contradictory ways of dealing with it, that we become an individual,

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