37 Carl Jung Quotes – On Life, Acceptance, Personal Growth

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.

carl jung quotes wisdom

I first stumbled upon Carl Jung’s quotes back in 2004.

My girlfriend had died in a car accident.

Feeling lost and confused, I started searching for quotes to help me understand what was happening in my mind.

I started reading Jiddu Krishnamurti, Osho, Eckhart Tolle, and many other philosophers.

Then, I discovered Carl Jung (a Swiss psychiatrist who lived from 1875 to 1961) who taught me:

  • About the conscious and subconscious mind
  • Introversion and extroversion
  • Personality types/psychology

It was a whole new world to me and I learned so much.

In more concrete terms, I recommend you read Jung if you want to:

  • Know yourself better
  • Reach your full potential
  • Better understand your life’s purpose

You’ll find 37 of the best Carl Jung quotes on the following page.

And I hope you’ll love (and use them) as much as I did.

Enjoy!

P.S. Read slowly. This will help you get the true meaning of Jung’s quotes.

The difference between a good life and a bad life is how well you walk through the fire. Carl Jung

Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness’s of other people. Carl Jung

Children are educated by what the grown-up is and not by his talk. Carl Jung

carl jung quotes fear task wisdom

Where your fear is, there is your task. Carl Jung

If one does not understand a person, one tends to regard him as a fool. Carl Jung

The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you really are. Carl Jung

The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. Carl Jung

carl jung quotes what you do say wisdom

You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. Carl Jung

We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. Carl Jung

Who has fully realized that history is not contained in thick books but lives in our very blood? Carl Jung

We need more understanding of human nature, because the only real danger that exists is man himself. Carl Jung

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carl jung quotes what happened choose become wisdom

I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become. Carl Jung

The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it. Carl Jung

Everything that irritates us about others can lead to an understanding of ourselves. Carl Jung

The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it. Carl Jung

carl jung quotes world ask who are know tell wisdom

The world will ask you who you are, and if you don’t know, the world will tell you. Carl Jung

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. Carl Jung

To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful. Carl Jung

People who know nothing about nature are, of course, neurotic, for they are not adapted to reality. Carl Jung

carl jung quotes looks outside inside awakens wisdom

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. Carl Jung

Our unconscious mind, like our body, is a storehouse of relics and memories of the past. Carl Jung

The conscious mind is a bad judge of its own situation and often persists in the illusion that its attitude is just the right one. Carl Jung

Mistakes are, after all, the foundations of truth, and if a man does not know what a thing is, it is at least an increase in knowledge if he knows what it is not. Carl Jung

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carl jung quotes needs difficulties necessary health wisdom

Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health. Carl Jung

Everybody is somewhat neurotic, and…we must practice tolerance. Carl Jung

People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. Carl Jung

Life really does begin at forty. Up until then, you are just doing research. Carl Jung

carl jung quotes dont really heal simply wisdom

We don’t really heal anything; we simply let it go. Carl Jung

Do not compare, do not measure. No other way is like yours. All other ways deceive and tempt you. You must fulfill the way that is in you. Carl Jung

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. Carl Jung

We don’t so much solve our problems as we outgrow them. We add capacities and experiences that eventually make us bigger than the problems. Carl Jung

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carl jung quotes most terrifying accept onelself wisdom

The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely. Carl Jung

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves. Carl Jung

Everyone you meet knows something you don’t know but need to know. Learn from them. Carl Jung

Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge. Carl Jung

carl jung quotes embrace grief soul grow wisdom

Embrace your grief. For there, your soul will grow. Carl Jung

Key takeaways

  • Learn about yourself. You have a treasure to discover inside.
  • Learn about your mind (conscious and subconscious). The more you understand yourself, the calmer you can be.
  • Everybody has a dark side, even yourself. Accept this fact when dealing with others, and yourself.
  • You can get hurt in life, but you can use this as fuel for personal growth.
  • Where there is fear, there is also the possibility of finding meaning.

Further Readings

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Author Bio

maxime lagace

Maxime Lagacé started collecting quotes in 2004 after he lost his girlfriend in a car accident.

In search of meaning, he dived in the self-improvement world, psychology and trail running.

Books, blogs, quotes and nature became his guide.

He started journaling, reflecting, writing his thoughts, feelings and quotes.

His goal was to understand his pain, his depression, his fears, his lack of motivation and inspiration.

He finished his software engineering degree in 2007 at the École de Technologie Supérieure de Montréal.

A few years later, he started his first website to share his love of quotes.

Maxime is a father of two, husband, and INFJ.

Other notable interests of Maxime are health (mental and physical), meditation, bananas, SEO, human potential, and education.

You can find him on X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube.

Last update

June 14, 2023

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