Hugely important observations, it's the core of the problem in all western societies. It goes well beyond the gentrification of politics which it's an effect and not a cause: in the absence of christian religion (the only western founding cultural myth), we have no rite of passage from childhood to maturity. This rite of passage, presen…
Hugely important observations, it's the core of the problem in all western societies. It goes well beyond the gentrification of politics which it's an effect and not a cause: in the absence of christian religion (the only western founding cultural myth), we have no rite of passage from childhood to maturity. This rite of passage, present in any "classical" culture from the primitive times of human civilization, is the one assigning responsibilities, direction and meaning to the becoming adult. In Christianity, starting your own family provided this direction and meaning, and the entire culture was build, as a result, around the family. ("culture" used here in the broad meaning). The epidemic of "puer aeternus" (a type of complex confined until then to the area of dominating mother complexes) coincides with the evaporation of the christian culture, and starts well behind us, at the beginning of XXth century. It's only normal that adolescence, which was initially just a transitory phase of no more than 2-5 years, just a border between childhood and adulthood, to become in the absence of a clear passage rite a kind of long age in itself, exhibiting a lot of childish values, attitudes and world views. e.g. in Europe there is a huge problem with adults, up to 30 yo, living with their parents. Of course, woke is both effect and catalyst to this, and some other cultural shifts make the problem worse. It's a deep subject & there is a much needed discussion about the psychological processes behind this "infantilization" of the modern society. I think anyone with an interest in Jungian psycholgy should re-visit "Puer Aeternus" of Marie-Louise von Franz, published in 1970. It helps to see the problem in its true magnitude. Thanks for the text, it's like a breath of fresh air! :)
Hugely important observations, it's the core of the problem in all western societies. It goes well beyond the gentrification of politics which it's an effect and not a cause: in the absence of christian religion (the only western founding cultural myth), we have no rite of passage from childhood to maturity. This rite of passage, present in any "classical" culture from the primitive times of human civilization, is the one assigning responsibilities, direction and meaning to the becoming adult. In Christianity, starting your own family provided this direction and meaning, and the entire culture was build, as a result, around the family. ("culture" used here in the broad meaning). The epidemic of "puer aeternus" (a type of complex confined until then to the area of dominating mother complexes) coincides with the evaporation of the christian culture, and starts well behind us, at the beginning of XXth century. It's only normal that adolescence, which was initially just a transitory phase of no more than 2-5 years, just a border between childhood and adulthood, to become in the absence of a clear passage rite a kind of long age in itself, exhibiting a lot of childish values, attitudes and world views. e.g. in Europe there is a huge problem with adults, up to 30 yo, living with their parents. Of course, woke is both effect and catalyst to this, and some other cultural shifts make the problem worse. It's a deep subject & there is a much needed discussion about the psychological processes behind this "infantilization" of the modern society. I think anyone with an interest in Jungian psycholgy should re-visit "Puer Aeternus" of Marie-Louise von Franz, published in 1970. It helps to see the problem in its true magnitude. Thanks for the text, it's like a breath of fresh air! :)