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I dedicate Saturdays my cheat days.

A few years ago, I read a book called “Laws of Human Nature” by Robert Greene.

There is a so called “Law” of human nature called the “Law of Repression” in the Ninth chapter of the book titled: “Confront “our Dark Side”.

I tend to avoid alcohol, but being sober and responsible all the time can lead to internal conflicts and a feeling of nihilism.

This is why I’m going to be sipping red wine out of a bottle with a sports lid because I heard it in a song “Pink Life” by pink guy.

One of the hardest Pink Guy songs without a doubt.

Anyway, back to confronting our dark side from our mentor Sharon.

Sharon here today will tell us how to confront our inner demons.

Confront Your Dark Side -The Law of Repression

The Shadow, borrowed from Jungian psychology, refers to the repressed, denied, and hidden aspects of your personality – the parts you deem “dark,” socially unacceptable, or weak. This includes selfish impulses, aggression, irrationality, jealousy, and insecurities.

Here is a concise summary of Greene’s perspective on the Shadow and the process of integrating it:

The Shadow and Repression

• The Cause of the Shadow: From childhood, we learn to repress certain natural impulses- like aggression, rebellion, or intense emotions-in order to fit into society, please our parents, and wear a polite, agreeable social Mask. These repressed elements don’t disappear; they are pushed into the unconscious, forming the Shadow.
• The Danger of a Denied Shadow: If you refuse to acknowledge or confront your Shadow, it gains independent, unconscious power over you. It can manifest destructively in moments of stress or crisis, causing irrational emotional outbursts, self-sabotage, and behavior that seems “out of character” to others (and even to you).

The Four Steps to Integrating Your Shadow

Greene advocates for integrating the Shadow to become a more complete, authentic, and effective person-an Integrated Human. The integration process involves four main steps:

• See the Shadow (Self-Awareness): This is the hardest step. You must honestly look for the indirect signs of your Shadow.
  • Look at your emotional outbursts: Moments of extreme touchiness, defensiveness, or irrationality are leaks from your Shadow.
  • Look at your projections: The qualities you despise, criticize, or are intensely jealous of in others are often unacknowledged aspects of your own Shadow being projected onto them.
  • Access your childhood self: Reflect on the wilder, more intense, or rebellious spirit you had before it was “trained” out of you.
• Embrace the Shadow (Acceptance): Your goal is in full, non-judgmental acceptance of this hidden part of yourself. You must accept that you, like everyone, are a complex mix of “good” and “bad,” light and dark. You are not trying to eliminate these impulses, but to accept their existence as part of your fundamental nature.
• Explore the Shadow (Channeling Creative Energy): Greene suggests that the shadow contains immense, primitive creative energy and original thought that your conscious, rational mind lacks.
  • Explore your less conscious thoughts: Pay attention to your dreams, intuitions, and free associations.
  • Find constructive channels: Channel the energy of your Shadow-e.g., your aggression, intense desire for control, or ambition-into productive activities like your work, entrepreneurial ventures, or creative pursuits.
• Show the Shadow (Controlled Expression): You must learn to assert yourself more and compromise less, caring less what people think of you. The final step is controlled, strategic expression of the Shadow’s positive aspects:
  • Assertiveness and Confidence: Use the power and intensity of your Shadow to be more assertive, stand up for yourself, and defend your work.
  • Authenticity: By showing controlled, authentic glimpses of your real character (which includes your Shadow), you appear more compelling and less fake to others, which can be liberating and attractive.

In short, integrating your Shadow is the path to achieving a higher level of self-mastery by taking control of your complete human nature instead of letting its denied parts control you.

Thank you for reading.

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