What does it mean to be authentic?

Authenticity IV. The Self, according to Carl Jung

Reviewed byAndrea Amaral

From the moment we put on our first mask, the Persona, we start learning how to perform, please, and fit in. Along the way, we lose touch with parts of ourselves: emotions we weren’t allowed to express, desires we learned to conceal, and qualities we projected onto others. We explored those hidden parts in the Shadow. We began to regain balance by meeting our inner opposite through the concepts of Anima and Animus.

Each of these steps brought us closer to what Carl Jung called individuation—the ongoing process of becoming whole by integrating the many aspects of our psyche. At the heart of this process lies the Self.