The Anima and the Animus
A masculine man
The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung has written about the concepts Anima and Animus, as related to the Greek archetypes of Eros and Logos. Hereby, the Anima/Eros is the feminine energy in the world and ourselves, the Animus/Logos is the masculine energy. We can use these terms to understand our psyche better and become aware of our potentiality.
Our psyche is such that it consists of both the feminine and the masculine. All humans have both energies and to live up to the fullest expression of ourselves, we have to use and balance both.
The core of the Anima (the feminine) is love and life energy.
The core of the Animus (the masculine) is order and knowledge.
Some possible positive and negative expressions of the Anima in a person:
Positive expressions of the Anima
Sensitivity
Intuitiveness
Capable of empathy
A feeling for nature
Access to feeling life
Truth telling and feeling
Self nurturing and self loving
Capacity for loving relationships
Creativity and access to creative inspiration
Able to make value judgements beyond the realm of pure rationality
Negative expression of the Anima
Angry
Anxious
Depressed
Codependent
Self centered
Greedy, grasping
Lack of creativity
Poor relatedness to others
Imagination becomes mere fantasizing
Uncontained, constantly seeking external affirmation.
Feelings and emotions are replaced by moodiness, sentimentality, hysteria
Next, some possible positive and negative expressions of the Animus in a person:
Positive expressions of the Animus
Vitality
Courage
Assertiveness
A strong center
Strength of conviction
Desire for achievement
Good rational and logical ability
Good external strength in the persona
Bridge to knowledge and creative thought
Ability to construct by sustained effort and application
Negative expressions of the Animus
Fear
Brutality
Avoidance
Controlling
Repressed emotions
Know it all behavior
Destructive behavior
Inability to effectively and meaningfully relate
Analytical thought becomes argumentativeness
Assertiveness becomes aggression and ruthlessness
The full expression of one’s character is achieved when the Anima and Animus are fully and equally integrated. When the Anima and the Animus are poorly integrated, the negative expressions can throw someone off balance and lead to a non authentic or depressed life.
To get more positive expressions of the Anima or Animus in ourselves, we can reflect on these concepts in ourselves and the people around us. We can mirror and uplift ourselves to a parent, friend, sibling, colleague, famous person or someone else who is inspiring. For a more direct and contained approach to give rise to a positive and balanced expression of the Anima and the Animus in ourselves, coaching can be valuable.
