“Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune.”
- July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961
- Born in Switzerland
- Psychiatrist and psychologist
- Founded analytical psychology and proposed the concepts of archetypes and the collective unconscious
Quote
“Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune.”
Explanation
In this quote, Carl Jung points to the role of pride in distorting our perception of reality and ourselves. Pride, as he describes it, acts as a defensive mechanism that prevents us from recognizing our flaws, vulnerabilities, or deeper truths. By inflating our sense of self-importance, pride can cause us to deceive ourselves, masking the authentic self and leading us to live in a state of denial about our true feelings or motivations. However, despite this self-deception, Jung suggests that beneath the surface of our everyday consciousness, there exists a quieter, more authentic voice—what he calls a “still, small voice.” This voice represents the unconscious mind or the inner wisdom that alerts us to the fact that something in our life or psyche is not in harmony, or is “out of tune.” It is this quiet, intuitive sense that guides us toward the recognition of our shadow self and helps us to integrate those parts of our personality that we may be avoiding or repressing.
Historically, Jung’s understanding of pride and the unconscious reflects his broader ideas about the conflict between the conscious and unconscious mind. He believed that pride could act as a barrier to personal growth by suppressing the unconscious aspects of the self, which he argued were essential to achieving wholeness and individuation. Individuation, for Jung, is the process of becoming aware of and integrating all parts of the self, including the shadow, to become a fully realized individual. The “still, small voice” represents a moral compass or inner guide that, while often ignored or repressed, continues to communicate with us, urging us to pay attention to what might be out of balance in our lives. This voice is a critical component of Jung’s concept of self-awareness, as it calls us to confront our deeper truths and to address the disharmony within ourselves before it manifests in unhealthy ways.
In modern psychological and therapeutic practices, this idea resonates with the concept of inner conflict and the importance of self-reflection. People often experience a sense of cognitive dissonance or inner discomfort when their actions or beliefs are not aligned with their core values, much like the “still, small voice” Jung describes. This discomfort can manifest as feelings of guilt, anxiety, or emptiness, prompting individuals to confront the gap between their ego (or conscious self-image) and their authentic self. Recognizing and addressing these inner conflicts is a central theme in many forms of therapy, particularly psychodynamic and humanistic approaches, which emphasize the importance of self-exploration and personal growth. Jung’s quote invites individuals to listen to that quiet voice of intuition and self-awareness, encouraging us to examine the ways in which our pride or defenses may be preventing us from achieving inner peace and personal authenticity.
