The King, Jung and I

Lately, as I round the corner into middle age, I've found myself becoming more and more introspective and altruistic. That is not to say that I'm paying less attention to the world around me, but rather I'm looking more inwardly to see what greater role I can play. Lately my thoughts have been increasingly engaging notions of social and economic justice...and in this sense the first half of my life has largely been wasted. I regret that. I have spent way to much time chasing my own demons to address some of the blatant and cruel inequities that plague our world.

Some would say that this turn of heart is part of a natural intellectual evolution. Abraham Maslow may attribute this new outlook to my becoming more "self actualized". Maslow says the following traits are indicative of a more self actualized person:

• They embrace reality and facts rather than denying truth
• They are spontaneous
• They are interested in solving problems which may include personal problems or the emotional conflicts of others
• They are accepting of themselves and others and lack prejudice

And I must say, without any real self congratulation, that I have seen these changes in myself. It is difficult to know whether these changes were merely inevitable as a process of human development, like puberty; or are the product of a set of unique experiences which serve to generate altruistic perspectives. Of course, it could be both.

Nonetheless there are many among us who would be content to do nothing, because as Carl Jung put it "nature cares nothing whatsoever about a higher level of consciousness," and society "does not value these feats of the psyche very highly; its prizes are always given for achievement and not for personality, the latter being rewarded for the most part posthumously." And so some of us are left all alone to decide what kind of an existence we will have, and whether we will willingly dive deeper and deeper into the unsure waters of life to gain a richer perspective of it all.

So why have I decided to dive deeper, to confront these larger issues. And more importantly, why do I feel an imperative to do so.

Martin Luther King Jr. said "When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." This notion speaks more to me, and somehow offers greater impetus for this nagging yet beautiful desire for peace and well being for all man-kind. For if I am under the influence of a creative force, then I can trust my motivations and approach these human challenges with greater courage.