Election results flush out Jung’s ‘cultural Shadow’

Jillian Guthrie, a social worker with Simplicity Counseling, says the recent presidential elections have been hard on a lot of people, particularly immigrants, Hispanics, Muslims, LGBTQs, women and other people who might feel threatened by the candidate who routinely roused crowds of supporters by making outrageous racist and xenophobic statements and promising to put his opponent, Hillary Clinton, in jail.

“Any groups already marginalized are feeling less protected or less supported,” Guthrie said. “They can no longer ignore that there is a large portion of the U.S. that feels ill will towards them or wants them to leave the country. That creates anxiety and fear, a natural human reaction.”

Guthrie said the election results might be particularly hard on people who didn’t expect the U.S. would actually elect him.

“He seemed so ridiculous and unlikely, and we assumed our citizens had more respect for that position,” Guthrie said. “It was seemingly ludicrous that he was even being considered – so many of us waited too late to get intentional about preventing it. We who thought it was not even a risk were appalled and petrified to realize the risk was real; and now it is enacted. It has made many revise their vision of the U.S. as being an inclusive, fair society.

“A lot of people didn’t see it coming, not just people in Eureka, but from different states and walks of life. So it is like a shock wave. To see so many people get behind Trump and say, ‘You’re the voice we have been looking for,’ is really scary. It has flushed out a lot of things we were slightly aware of and didn’t want to see. For the people who liked what occurred, they are exuberant and hopeful. It is a dichotomy. Opposite reverberations are happening.”

For those appalled at the election results, it has left them feeling hopeless, depressed and anxious.

“People tend to get despondent and discouraged like all their progress is for naught, and we have to start over,” she said. “It might feel we have lost that progress. The human condition changes gradually. It looks pretty slow until you look back 50 years. If we fear we are going back 50 to 75 years, we will operate on that. The truth is, we haven’t lost that progress. A lot of people have become more supporting and understanding, more accepting. We can still build on that.”

What has occurred to Guthrie is that our culture’s Shadow was flushed out.

“In the words of Carl Jung, we all have a Shadow and it gives us trouble to some degree,” Guthrie said. “It is good to get to know it, incorporate it into your knowledge of yourself, and do what you can to use it for your best overall health. But many of us don’t look at the Shadow. It is scary for most because it is unknown. When it shows up, it throws us sideways. People of color have told us the discrimination is still there. They get marginalized every day.”

People tend to sing in their own choirs, she said. When they come across someone who says something opposite, they tend to disengage and gravitate back to their own people and avoid these conversations.

“Maybe we need to engage in some of these uncomfortable situations, be more informed, ask questions with curiosity rather than defensiveness or judgment – to gain understanding and share our thoughts and reasoning with people who don’t have the same ideas,” she said. “Otherwise, you just get really surprised. We have no idea who we’re interacting with otherwise and in this case, those who agree with or support Trumpspeak are apparently nearly half of our voting population. We need to get to know each other.”

The biggest motivator for humans is pain, which makes people do things they wouldn’t do otherwise.

“I think our culture now is in pain,” she said. “We have an opportunity to make a big change. This could be a great growth spurt. It’s a catalyst if it causes us to make changes. It’s time, apparently, for us to do something different than what we have been doing because Trump flushed out a lot of uncomfortable truths about our culture.”

One of the things that makes people feel hopeless and can lead to dangerous decisions is feeling powerless and overwhelmed. Guthrie said the anecdote to that is taking action.

“We need to get busy,” she said. “There is nothing better than getting educated and finding actions that will make you feel empowered and like you can have an effect. Take actions that make you feel more involved. I’m a strong believer in making a difference. We are change agents. Each person makes a difference. It may mean getting out of your comfort zone.

“It is probably going to call for people to be brave and courageous. Wear a safety pin and if you see someone being picked on or bullied, offer help. Even making phone calls to Congress can be anxiety-inducing. Do it anyway; it can definitely help your despair. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable and willing to resist. I encourage people to understand it is natural to be feel fear and discouragement. Just do something constructive with it. It is just energy, so let’s put it into a constructive place.”

There are reports of calls to some suicide hotlines being up 200 percent since the election.

“If something happens and you don’t have coping skills, it may be time to go back to church, call a counselor, start meditating, and do whatever else gives you strength again,” she said.

As a social worker, Guthrie tries every day at every turn to make a positive difference. She has plans to audit a political science night course next semester and is considering running for political office and even eventually Congress. She is also involved in developing a local Democratic Party chapter with regular meeting.

“I have put word out in Eureka that I am available and interested for boards, committees, openings, etc.,” she said. “Activists who write of resistance and change speak of and encourage acting locally.”