If the 20th century taught us anything,
it was that not only is it unhealthy to neglect
the unconscious part of ourselves but it
may even be sinful….if we understand this
word as ‘missing the mark’….
not achieving our full potential or effectively
ignoring the call to be human…
The result of remaining unconscious, of not
dealing with who we are,
is that we become a danger to ourselves and to others,
which is fine if we have no responsibilities.
However, if we are called to be leaders or teachers,
if we are in positions which affect the lives of other people,
then the danger of not getting in touch with our unconscious
is that, whether we mean it or not,
even with the best intentions in the world,
we end up doing evil.
Most of us are aware that the twentieth century
was a hell on earth for many
and that this hell was a human creation.
It was a hell of cruelty and mayhem
resulting from the incapacity of powerful people
to decipher their unconscious motivation,
whether in concentration camps, penal institutions,
schools, or families.
