So one of the most useful things that Jung did, I think, was to work on this idea of the integration of the shadow,

because he was really interested in the idea of evil.

What do you do with the part of you that's aggressive and potentially malevolent?

Do you just crush it?

That's the super ego response in some sense.

Do you just put it behind you, so to speak?

Is that a possibility?

Or do you admit to its existence and bring it into the game?

You're listening to Carbon Bros. I'm Daniel Penny. And I'm Amy Westervelt.

And that's our old friend, Dr. Jordan Peterson, speaking in 2018 to a young man about integrating the so-called shadow self.

Integration is one of Peterson's favorite concepts. It's borrowed from the psychoanalyst, Carl Young,

and it's the idea that through a series of direct confrontations with our darkest fears and

desires, we can come to accept and even channel

that side of our personalities in a constructive way. You often hear about shadow work from

nanosphere types when they want to defend the idea of masculine aggression.

You should be able to do things that you wouldn't do. That's the, that's like the definition of a genuinely moral person.

They could do it, but they don't.

And that's not cowardice.

And so that's, you burn off the things that get in the way of that integration.

It's a forest fire that allows for new growth.

Because if you burn something off, you might think, well, there's nothing left.

It's like that's not true.

...