I’m in Theories of Personality on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’ve been going over Carl Jung’s theory, and today we were talking about the process of developing anima and animus. The anima is the “feminine” traits in a male, and the animus is the “masculine” traits in a female. 

There are four stages; Physical stage, where we are either completely male or completely female. Romantic stage, where we start to develop the masculine/feminine traits. Spiritual stage, where the Ego and Self are almost one (the Ego and Self really only makes sense if you’re familiar with Jung, it really isn’t important to my point). And the Wisdom stage, where you are able to see everyone you meet and talk to them on whatever level they’re on and deal with every situation.

If you associate with someone while you’re on, say, the physical stage, and they develop to the romantic stage, you’re going to think they’re going off the deep end. Basically, if you mature past your friends and they don’t follow/catch up, they’re going to think you’re fucking crazy. 

Basically, my epiphany (I guess it was really one) was that this is the basis of a lot of high school animosity and bullshit and drama. And possibly specifically with a couple certain people in my life. I went through a LOT of shit my senior year of high school, and you don’t go through that sort of mental and emotional strain without developing either coping mechanisms or just developing mentally in general. Maybe it is because of this I am now seen as unstable or crazy. These certain people have always been the ones to be set in their ways, and have to be in control of their situations. That is a sign of Physical stage. Even if they have developed the anima and animus, unwillingness to broaden horizons spiritually, judging others on their want to do so, would be a sign of the Romantic stage.

This class has me analyzing people and situations in ways I never imagined before. In a way it makes me pity some people but who are any one of us to judge others for the path they’ve chosen?

(Source: caffeinatrix)