People Will Do Anything — Except Face Themselves
Carl Jung didn’t sugarcoat it. He once said:
“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.”
Read that again. Slowly.
This is not just old psychology — it’s a mirror for modern life.
Look around: endless distractions, overpacked schedules, addictions disguised as hobbies, noise on every screen. Most of it exists so we never have to sit quietly and face ourselves.
The Great Escape — Why We Avoid Ourselves
Facing your own soul means looking at the parts you’ve stuffed in the basement:
The fear you don’t admit you have.
The jealousy you pretend isn’t there.
The old wounds you tell yourself are “in the past.”
The dreams you gave up on to play it safe.
It’s uncomfortable. It can feel terrifying. So instead, we escape:
More work. More scrolling. More gossip. More numbing.
Anything to keep us from hearing the quiet truth whispering underneath it all.
This is self-abandonment in disguise.
You turn your back on the real you because it feels safer to stay busy than to feel deeply.
How to Recognize When You’re Avoiding Yourself
You’ll know you’re dodging your own soul if:
Silence makes you anxious.
You can’t sit still without needing your phone.
You get defensive when someone points out your patterns.
You overwork, over-help, or over-give so you don’t have to face your own needs.
You say, “I don’t have time for that,” when it comes to self-care, therapy, or reflection.
Avoidance is subtle. It looks like productivity, but it’s really fear wearing a to-do list.
How to Face Yourself — And Finally Know Yourself
If you want real peace — real freedom — you have to get honest. Not with the world, but with you.
Here’s how:
1️⃣ Make Silence Non-Negotiable
Put the phone down. Turn off the noise.
Sit with yourself, even if it feels awkward at first.
Journal. Pray. Meditate. Breathe.
Let the thoughts come up — without judgment.
2️⃣ Ask Better Questions
Surface questions won’t cut it.
Go deeper:
What am I afraid to admit to myself?
What old story am I still living out?
What feeling am I running from?
If I trusted I was safe, what truth would I finally face?
Don’t censor your answers.
3️⃣ Feel It to Free It
When the discomfort rises — don’t distract.
Breathe through it. Feel it fully. Let it move.
Feelings are just energy wanting freedom. Ignoring them gives them power.
4️⃣ Speak It Out Loud
Tell the truth. To yourself. To a safe friend. To a journal. To your mirror.
Truth spoken becomes truth softened. It loses its hold.
5️⃣ Practice Radical Self-Compassion
Facing yourself isn’t about self-punishment. It’s about self-reunion.
The shadows you hide? They don’t make you bad. They make you human.
Hold them with kindness. Forgive yourself for what you didn’t know before. Decide who you want to be now.
Know Thyself, Free Thyself
Carl Jung saw it clearly — we’ll do backflips to avoid facing our own depths.
But freedom lives there. Clarity lives there. Real love for yourself lives there.
So slow down.
Stop running.
Look inward.
Ask the questions you’ve avoided.
Feel what you’re afraid to feel.
Because on the other side of that brave choice is the real you — whole, wise, unshakable.
Rightly and properly.
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