Carl G. Jung

Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist who changed the way we think about the human psyche, or personality.

Jung coined terms that are increasingly common in today's language. He described people as introverts and extroverts in their dominant approach to the world. (We like to define the difference with this question: Where do you get your batteries charged: by being alone, or being with others?)

Jung used the word persona to describe the mask each of us wears in the world to hide our deep self, and the word individuation for the process of becoming fully conscious, that is, of integrating our unconscious vitalities into our conscious lives. Jung's work on personality types and dream interpretation have helped millions to understand themselves, their inner landscapes and mythic connections.

Jung thought of himself primarily as a scientist, and his ideas helped prove the existence and influence of the human unconscious. The lie detector and the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator® (a widely-used personality test) are based on his ideas. Today, many consider him also a spiritual thinker who offered Western culture a way back to religion that places no shame on being human. The son of a pastor, Jung broke with his friend and colleague Sigmund Freud over what Jung saw as the fundamental human need for spirituality.