The judgement

In the quote below, Carl G. Jung argues that the reason there is evil in the world is because people are unable to tell their own stories.

Now you might think: what nonsense.

But let's take a closer look at this.

Our own story is often neglected because we are so preoccupied with others. We turn opinions into judgments, and as a result, we tell other people's stories instead of our own. By looking outside ourselves—superficially at the stories of others—we don't have to look at ourselves. We use the time we would spend focusing on our own imbalances and shadows to look at those of others. This is about the judgment you have about others.

As a result, our own story is banished to the unconscious.

Any story that does not rhyme with our own and stems from a lack of empathy.

This causes you to play a role in the other person's story, and as a result, you forget to fulfill the leading role in your own life.

The difference between opinion and judgment

Both opinions and judgments say something about your perception and perspective. Neither has much to do with the other person. They say something about how you feel about the other person or the situation.

Both fall into the same category, but they are fundamentally different. The difference lies in how they are formed and their outcome. An opinion often has a positive character, while a judgment often assumes a negative segment. An opinion (often) involves empathy towards the other person, as well as openness towards them. An opinion is intrinsically educational in nature. You have thought about it and come to a personal conclusion. An opinion is something that is focused on yourself.

A judgment is primarily ego-oriented and focuses mainly on another person. Literally, judgment means “that which is handed out.” Judgment is also related to the persona (the mask; the pretense of the person you would like to be).

Briefly summarized:

Forming an opinion helps you write your own story, while judgment prevents you from doing so.

As long as we talk about someone else, for whatever reason, we are not writing the next chapter of our own lives.

But even if the judgment is not intrinsically formed, it says something about you. A judgment is only made when something about the other person touches us.

This can be due to a number of things:

First of all, it is because we do not dare to look in our own mirror, and sometimes are not yet able to, because it is fogged up. The behavior that we ourselves cannot see in our “self.” It is our own behavior that we judge. The behavior that the other person exhibits is recognizable to the unconscious; it is our own. The other person is, as it were, that mirror, but because you have never cleaned the mirror, we do not see that this behavior—which we judge—is our own.

Fear and jealousy can also play a role in judgment. Here, the mirror comes into play again. The desire to belong and misjudgments about the opinions of the masses play a role here. When we feel peer pressure, we are more inclined to make a judgment, even though we may consciously or unconsciously disagree with the outcome. This is beautifully illustrated by Asch's line experiment.

This experiment reveals the fear we feel of being rejected and our desire to be like others, so as not to be excluded from the group.

Another reason lies in a lack of understanding. A lack of understanding of what the other person has achieved, does, or how they look. It is something that is far removed from yourself. There is a lack of empathy here.

Not being able to put yourself in the other person's shoes.

All in all, judgment says something about dissatisfaction with one's own life.

But now back to Jung's quote.

Why is not being able to tell one's own story...

The unconsciousness of our own “self” now at the root of evil in the world?

Well, precisely because, as I wrote earlier, judgment takes us away from our “self.”

It causes us to act in a way that is not right for either party. Take, for example, the aggression in Amsterdam surrounding last week's soccer match.

It was the judgment of both parties that caused things to get so out of hand, both around the Israelis and the Amsterdammers. Because both parties acted based on this judgment, things got so out of hand. This is even more the case in wars, but also in our own environment.

Just think of bullying, etc. This is behavior that arises from judgment. It arises from not being able to tell our own story, simply because we are not conscious of our own story and the uncertainty of its value.

Once you know your own story...

Once you get to know your own “self”...

Judgment will quickly disappear!