The inner battle: what Jung’s archetypes reveal about us.
Today, I would like to introduce you to another great mind who left a lasting legacy in psychoanalytical theories: Carl Gustav Jung. Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist who studied how the human mind works. By looking at dreams and myths from all over the world, he noticed that people share certain basic ideas and images, even when they come from different cultures. He called this shared memory the collective unconscious.
This helps explain why so many stories feel familiar: they use the same types of characters, known as archetypes. Jung believed that these patterns are part of human nature and appear in myths, dreams, films, and even in our everyday behaviour.
Here are some well-known archetypes:
The Hero faces challenges and proves their strength,
The Victim expects to be hurt or abandoned,
The Caregiver looks after others but forgets themselves,
The Wise Elder offers knowledge and guidance,
The Magician brings change, growth, and transformation,
The Villain blocks the Hero’s goal and uses power to harm,
The Warrior symbolises courage, justice, and protection. etc.
These are not just story roles, because they can appear in real life. Sometimes in therapy, people realise they have been acting out one of these roles without even knowing it. When we recognise the archetype we are living, we can better understand our choices and emotions.
Take the Hero archetype. Someone may become a “Hero” in life if they had to help others from a young age, if they were praised only when they achieved something, or if they are afraid of being seen as weak. A real-life example might be a doctor who never rests because they believe they must save everyone. Their inner belief might be: “I must be strong, or I don’t matter.”
We see this in literature, too. Famous Heroes like Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins show that bravery often comes from pain. Harry grows up alone without his parents. Frodo feels too small for the huge task he faces. Their battles are not only against evil, but also against their own fears.
Now, let’s look at the Villain archetype. Villains harm others, ignore rules, and enjoy power. We see this in the real world through bullies, corrupt leaders, scammers, or abusers. In stories, villains usually want control, revenge, or destruction. For example, Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter seeks power at any cost and destroys anyone who gets in his way. But here is something interesting: the Hero and the Villain are connected. The Hero tries to protect and help, and the Villain tries to block and destroy.
Jung said the Villain often represents the Shadow, the dark side the Hero tries to hide. Voldemort is like Harry’s dark mirror: his anger, his fear of death, his temptation to use power. Their fight is symbolic. Harry isn’t only fighting Voldemort, he is also fighting the darker parts of himself.
We all have that inner split. We each have a Hero inside us: the part that wants to do good, but we also carry a darker side, what Jung called the Shadow. Stories help us explore both, so we can understand ourselves better.
Heroes and Villains remain popular because they bring to life the battles we face in our own minds: light vs. dark, courage vs. fear, strength vs. weakness. When we learn about archetypes, we can start to see our own story more clearly and choose the kind of character we want to become.
So, which archetype do you connect with? Maybe you feel like the Hero, always pushing through hard times. Perhaps you see a bit of the Caregiver in you: putting others first, even when it costs you. Or maybe you notice a shadow side that you are still learning to understand. None of these is “good” or “bad” on its own because they are simply different parts of being human.
Jung believed that once we recognise these inner patterns, we can change the story. We are not stuck in one role forever. We can become stronger Heroes, wiser Elders, kinder Caregivers, and more aware of the Villain within us. Every day gives us a chance to shape our own character.
