Jung, Dreamwork, Success
I have a new pet theory. I have a strong hunch that the generally diffuse, virulent and pandemic dissatisfaction with law practice--and the concomitant prevalence of alcohol- and drug-abuse (and otherwise compulsive behavior) among lawyers has a particular and rational cause.
The Root
The cause, I believe, stems from our emphasis on the rational, the logical, the reasonable, and, frankly, sterile logic, that our profession demands. This, on top of a similar, but less extreme, bias in the general public, seals our fate: We as attorneys are cut off from the vital, fantastical, and creative part of our lives. The source of that life? The unconscious. It's manifestation? Our dreams.
Jung's Theory
Even a cursory reading of Jung's work for the layman "Man and His Symbols" makes a powerful case for the need for the re-integration of our unconscious selves into our conscious mind. That sounds airy-fairy, I admit, but there is a powerful and fairly low-brow way to accomplish this: pay attention to our dreams.
A New Philosophy
If we begin to take the philosophical--even rational, scientific--point of view that all of the aspects of our existence are there for a reason, or, at the least, cannot and should not be ignored, we might be able to begin treating that part of our life that occupies a full third (hopefully!) of our lives (only a quarter if you work for an AmLaw 200 firm) with some respect.
Getting In Touch With the "Primitive"
Legion theorists and still more theories and case-studies underscore the need for purported "modern" man to get re-acquainted with the unconscious. On the most banal level, we ought to pay attention to this aspect of our lives because it is an important, if not the sole, source of all our creative and generative output.
My hypothesis is, then, that we are far worse attorneys if we continue to allow ourselves to be cut off from the source of the creativity that our practice, and frankly our logic, needs. For more on the subject, click here.
posted by Peter L. Smith, Esq. at 12:35 PM
3 Comments:
I disagree. Jungian type thinking is not the antidote to burnt out attorneys. Rational thinking is not cause for dissatisfaction. Jung is not as benign as myth would have you believe:
http://www.narcissisticabuse.com/paulinetesler.html
Hmm. A very interesting comment! I agree that the "Jungian" "myth" is anything but benign--rather, the whole point is that the human experience is one of pathos, danger, excitement, exhileration, passion and catastrophe. My point is that by a (in my view) narcissistic hyper-rationalism, attorneys cut themselves off from life itself. My hypothesis is that such an estrangement from the passions of life is just as, if not more dangerous than, a dive into a fuller life. On the other hand, the reticence you (apparently) betray only underscores my own point: the excessive cautiousness of attorneys is their own worst enemy. However, I'll review your link with sincere interest. Thanks!
And another thing . . . .
Far be it from me to say that "rational thinking" is the cause of dissatisfaction itself. Rather, I say that it is indeed irrational to believe that the sum total of life can be understood, explained and lived by ignoring the emotive, creative, passionate and incomprehensible parts of ourselves (including the unconscious). It makes no sense to ignore the unconscious; that is the very point I am making. An excessive "rationalism" only means a failure to understand new, better modes of being. For example, the entire field of quantum mechanics calls into question what used to be called rational, logical thinking. On the sum-atomic level we find that notions such as "space", "time" and the "normal" physical limitations of existence and sensation are removed or at least seriously in question. In the same vein, while we can never let go of reason in our legal analysis, we can and must access or creative and emotive minds to convey dynamically what we must reason with cold logic. After all, what is "rhetoric" if not the fusion of the rational and the emotive????
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