Empathy and Sensitivity
Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and thinker, never used the word empath. Yet much of his work points directly to what we now call empathy and sensitivity.
Jung described people with thin boundaries as those who notice the moods and emotions of others, sometimes so much that they carry them as their own. He saw this as both a challenge and a gift.
For Jung, our inner lives are shaped not only by personal experience but also by the collective unconscious, like a deep well of shared human memory and feeling. Empaths, with their open awareness, are especially attuned to this collective field. It means they may feel things more intensely, but it also gives them a doorway into greater wisdom and creativity.
Why do some of us develop as empaths? Jung would say it is partly our natural temperament, and partly shaped by early experiences. Sensitive children often learn to track the emotional weather around them for safety and connection. Over time, that attentiveness becomes second nature.
Jung also pointed to the importance of balance. Without clear inner boundaries, an empath can drown in what belongs to others. He encouraged practices of grounding, self-reflection, and what he called shadow work, the art of noticing what is yours to carry, and what is not.
From a Jungian view, being an empath is not a flaw. It is a stage on the path of individuation and the journey of becoming your true self. Sensitivity, when held with care, can connect us not only to other people but also to the deeper currents of soul and spirit that run through all of life.
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