What would Carl Jung make of 2011?

On Monday, June 6th, Kim White, Insights Senior Learning Consultant sent the following note to clients, along with a link to the complete article.  We are glad she agreed to share this piece with a broader audience and we reproduce the information below:

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Carl Jung’s death. You may ask yourself, is his work still relevant? Which of his theories still hold true for us, particularly in the organizational work that we do?

The attached BBC News article highlights a few of the areas where Jung was a forerunner in people development and highlights how his theories still are the basis for how we each seek meaning in our life.

Highlights of the article include:

• The current relevance of personality type and the application to a better understanding of self at work and our life’s path,
• Carl Jung’s foreshadowing of the importance of early attachment in parenting,
• The importance of caring for our aging population,
• Links between advances in modern neuroscience, emotional intelligence and Jung’s understanding of the influence of our unconscious,
• Life as a journey and the ongoing process of individuation. Seeking meaning through attentiveness to our inner life. ( For me, the implied link here is to mindfulness in all of our experiences),
• Societal increase in mental illness, even though our material wealth grows,
• The importance of connecting to our more spiritual side – to understand ourselves better, both the conscious and less conscious parts of our psyche (the first step in Insights Discovery).

As you begin this week, I’d like to say thank you to all of you who continue to do this great work within all of your organizations. You are making a difference to each person you touch. Through your work with Insights Discovery, you are helping your employees connect their inner and outer worlds, providing an opportunity for them to find meaning and relevance in the work that they do. The outcome of  such is, of course, an engaged, connected and productive workforce.

Enjoy the article and I look forward to being of service,

Sincerely,

Kim

To read the complete BBC News Magazine article, click here.