“Man cannot stand a meaningless life.”

— C.G. Jung

Last update May 26, 2023. History

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C.G. Jung 257

Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytic… 1875–1961

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Source: Confession (1882), Ch. 5, translated by David Patterson, 1983
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“The very meaninglessness of life forces man to create his own meaning.”

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“I answer, the man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost disqualified for life.”

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Context: Life is not meaningless for the man who considers certain actions wrong simply because they are wrong, whether or not they violate the law. This kind of moral code gives a person a focus, a basis on which to conduct himself. Certainly there is a temptation to let go of morals in order to do the expedient thing. But there is also a tremendous power in standing by what is right. Principle and accomplishment need not be incompatible.
A common thread moves through all the principles I have discussed: It is the desire to improve oneself and one's surroundings by actively participating in life. Too many succumb to the emotional preference of the comfortable solution instead of the difficult one. It is easy to do nothing. And to do nothing is also an act; an act of indifference or cowardice.
A person must prepare himself intellectually and professionally and then use his powers to their fullest extent.