To truly develop, we must face our fears and our Shadow parts. For any of us to become all that we can be-expand into the “oak tree” of our higher Self-we have to find the courage to see wisdom and truth in the darkness as well as the light. We must necessarily face our fears and childhood pain in the course of this journey, like an acorn has to go underground and have its shell crack open. Most people decide to do the difficult work of the “inner journey” in order to ease their suffering and find happiness. Pain is part of what motivates the desire for personal development, and conscious suffering represents a key part of the growth process. This archetype’s dark side reflects the opposite of these qualities in its unconscious unwillingness to face the pain of separation, aging, and mortality. The Type Seven personality and the puer archetype embody a highly positive idealism, a youthful enthusiasm, and a focus on future hopes. This archetypal character predominantly focuses on the lighter sides of life, the “enlivening, charming, and refreshing elements of human experience,” avoiding the darker Shadow aspects of human experience. It represents a “symbol for future hopes…the potentiality of life, newness itself… frivolity, pleasure, and play.” Jung characterizes this archetype as the “Eternal Child,” who resists growing up as a way of trying to avoid taking on responsibility, along with its commitments, encumbrances, and difficulties. The Jungian concept of the “puer” or the “divine child” is another form of this archetype. This archetype’s drive is to defend against the experience of pain using intelligence, imagination, charm, and enthusiasm, and to avoid fear through an optimistic outlook. Type Seven represents the archetype of the person who seeks pleasure in different forms as a distraction from the discomfort, darkness, and downside of life.
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