Question

A study found that one-third of British children, at age six, are afraid of snakes even though it is rare to encounter snakes in British Isles. ‘The children had never come in contact with snakes in a traumatic situation, but snakes still generated anxious response. How would Carl Jung's theory of personality explain the same? Throw some light on his theory.

Answer 1

Every person, according to Carl Jung, has a collective unconscious that is made up of archetypes or primordial images.

1. These are inherited rather than acquired separately.
2. All human beings exhibit these archetypes or primal pictures in their myths, dreams, and behaviour.
3. Jung gave the theory that every individual strives for unity and harmony.
4. It is an archetype that is expressed in may ways

As a result, six-year-old British children who dread snakes despite never having come into contact with them demonstrate their collective consciousness.