Hero

The hero in fairy tales typically represents the ego confronting the obstacles of the unconscious along the twists and turns of the individuation process. (Or more precisely, according to von Franz, the aspect of the Self that strengthens the ego by pushing it forward and expanding it [1980b, p. 19].) A defining feature of the hero’s journey is the revelation of individuality through actions.

An ideal image or hero in a dream can symbolize, on the one hand, our strongest side and, on the other, the unexpected force that saves us, depending on the dream's content. When Jung discusses his dream in which he commits the crime of murdering the great hero Siegfried, he interprets it as his "superior function" - his ideal - that had to be relinquished to make space for more "inferior functions," something one naturally resists doing. (Jung 2012, p. 66.)

A broader perspective suggests that the hero represents a dynamic directed toward a specific psychological goal, "more concretely as a personification of the drive toward individuation" (Edinger 1994b, p. 52). Edinger argues that the symbol is connected to both the ego and the Self. The heroic drive to individuate is an expression of the Self, but the ego must consciously act on it for it to become a reality. This is often depicted in fairy tales as the wise old man urging the young hero to embark on the adventure, though it is still the young hero who performs the great deeds himself.

While the striving to be unique and perhaps a bit remarkable is a natural part of growing up - an expression of the drive to become individual as opposed to collective (that is, to "individuate") - a persistent identification with the hero is unfortunate. In such cases, the ego identifies with unconscious content rather than becoming more conscious of it, which directly opposes the individuation process. Sooner or later, identification with one's "strongest side" (or "superior function" in Jungian typology) must be relinquished, as it eventually becomes "bloodless" and takes on an "airy" character (Jung 2012, p. 66). This reversal, or the unconscious impulse toward it, is characteristic of midlife crises, when what was once secure, successful, and engaging can suddenly feel empty and meaningless. What we once relied upon may, over time, transform from the young hero into the old and ailing king. (See also Birth and King.)

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