# Archetypes Archetypes are universal, inherited patterns of thought and imagery that reside in the [[Collective Unconscious]], as proposed by [[Carl Jung]]. They are not specific images or stories but structural templates — predispositions to experience and represent the world in certain ways. They manifest in myths, dreams, religions, art, and personality patterns across cultures. Jung argued that archetypes exist because humans share a common psychic inheritance, just as we share a common biological one. ## Core Archetypes | Archetype | Description | |-----------|-------------| | **The Self** | The totality of the psyche — conscious and unconscious unified. The goal of [[Individuation]] | | **The Shadow** | The repressed, denied, or unknown aspects of personality. See [[Shadow Side]] | | **The Anima/Animus** | The unconscious feminine in men (anima) / masculine in women (animus). Mediates between ego and unconscious | | **The Persona** | The social mask — how we present ourselves to the world | | **The Hero** | The one who overcomes challenges and transforms | | **The Wise Old Man/Woman** | Wisdom, guidance, knowledge | | **The Trickster** | Disruption, humor, breaking rules to reveal truth | | **The Mother** | Nurturing, fertility, creation — but also devouring, possessive | | **The Child** | Innocence, potential, new beginnings | ## Archetypes vs Stereotypes Archetypes are structural — they are empty forms that get filled with personal and cultural content. A stereotype is a fixed, oversimplified image. The Hero archetype can manifest as a warrior, a whistleblower, a parent fighting for their child, or a developer shipping against impossible deadlines. The archetype is the pattern; the expression is always contextual. ## Applications Beyond Psychology - **Storytelling and branding**: The Hero's Journey (Joseph Campbell), brand archetypes in marketing - **Self-understanding**: Identifying which archetypes are active in your life - **Dream analysis**: Archetypal figures appearing in dreams as messages from [[The Unconscious]] ## References - Jung, C.G. (1959). *The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious* - Campbell, J. (1949). *The Hero with a Thousand Faces* - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes ## Related - [[Carl Jung]] - [[Collective Unconscious]] - [[Individuation]] - [[Shadow Side]] - [[The Unconscious]] - [[Psychoanalysis]] - [[Buyer Persona]]