Review: Jung for Beginners

A short review for a short (yet brilliant) book.

I’ve been trying to read some of Sigmund Freud’s work for a while, but it’s just so dense, and to me, it felt like it was missing something. I’d mentioned this to a friend and they suggested I try Carl Jung instead. I’d heard of him but didn’t really know much about him, so they sent me a copy of Jung for Beginners by Maggie Hyde & Michael McGuinness.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – C.G. Jung

Don’t let the title fool you, it’s only a short read, but it gave me so much to digest that I’m sure I will revisit it. This graphic novel gives a fantastic breakdown of Carl Jung’s life, his beliefs, and the mark he left on the world.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – C.G. Jung

The book speaks on how things like, dreams, astrology, and alchemy, play a role in understanding our psychology. It discusses the role Freud and Jung played in each others lives as well as how Jung used his own self-reflection to design his home in Switzerland. 

I think what I found most fascinating was that it was Jung who came up with the terms “introvert” and “extrovert” which are now referred to in day-to-day life. I enjoyed this book, it gave a great overarching explanation of the life and mind of Carl Jung, and plenty for me to reflect on and deep dive into later.

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” – C.G. Jung