More Than The Patient, The Doctor Himself Is In Need Of A Cure!

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 7 September 2024 Having had an overdose of pseudo-psychology (late psychoanalyst and novelist Sudhir Kakar would call it, pavement psychology), I'm re-reading Carl Gustav Jung, a genuine Swiss psychologist and psychotherapist unlike a bunch of self-styled, faux 'interpreters' of human behaviour and motives who abound on social media doling out unsolicited 'gems' of their supreme wisdom. Jung's works provide profound insights into human behaviour. Two of his many insightful observations pertaining to human behaviour struck me: "Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people" and "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." The first quote by Carl Jung speaks to the importance of self awareness and understanding. It implies that the best way to effectively navigate and understand the darkness that may exist in other people is to first understand one's own darkness and shadows. Knowing oneself can provide a greater insight into the emotions and motivations of other people, allowing us to better empathize and react to them. Furthermore, understanding oneself can allow us to distinguish between our own issues and those of others, helping us to provide meaningful guidance and support to those in need. The second quote by Carl Jung reminds us that in order to understand our own actions, we have to look at the bigger picture. It's easy to be frustrated by the actions of others, but it's important to contemplate why they act the way they do. When we understand why people do the things they do, we can gain insight into our own behaviour and the way we interact with the world. Using this understanding, we can acknowledge our own shortcomings and strive to become better people by learning from our mistakes. This quote is a reminder to always take a step back and consider the root of our judgments, irritation, and frustrations in order to unlock a deeper understanding of ourselves. We're too quick to judge others and in the process of judging people, we often let others know our own dark spots which are Stygian dark. Every human has certain conscious or subconscious perceptions of people s/he comes across. It's natural. But some of us harden those perceptions into beliefs and often conceive an ill-impression of a particular individual which is jaundiced and fallacious. They must look within to find an answer as to what prompts them to form such an opinion. We superimpose our own irrationality on the perceived irrationality of others. Don't we often say in Urdu, Mareez Se Zyada Charagar Ko Zaroorat Hai Ilaaj Ki (More than the patient, the doctor himself is in need of a cure)? It's, therefore, imperative to get rid of one's inner demons so that one doesn't demonise others. This applies to all, including yours truly. ------ A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/patient-doctor-cure-psychology/d/133142 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism