Archetypes

Archetypes are divided into major and minor archetypes. The major archetypes

include the persona, animus, anima, shadow, and self. The persona is

one’s public personality, which one displays in order to be accepted by society.

One’s goal is to balance the needs of the persona with the desire to express

one’s true self. In contrast to the persona, the shadow represents the

dark side of the psyche. It includes thoughts and feelings which the person

typically does not express because they are not social. These cognitions can

be held back on either a conscious or an unconscious level. The anima represents

the feminine aspects of males, while the animus represents the masculine

aspects of females. These archetypes have come about as a function

of centuries of interactions between males and females. They have the potential

to improve communication and understanding between males and

females. Finally, the most important psychic structure in Jung’s theory is the

self. It is the archetype which provides the whole psyche with a sense of unity

and stability. The major goal of each person’s life is to optimize the development

of the self.