A great, short book by Jungian analyst Robert Johnson is “Owning your own shadow”. A key takeaway for me is that the Shadow is not dark, as in bad or evil, so much as it is where important attributes are hidden. Some of these can include antisocial thoughts and behaviors, but can also include great qualities that were relegated to hide in the unconscious mind because of societal pressures. One simple example is, “Girls aren’t good at math.” So, a smart girl who is convinced of this represses that talent. There are numerous examples of this.

Jung also suggested that the ego can be used to bring into the light those attributes that are hidden in our Shadow. That’s one reason that I object to devotees of Eastern religious practices advocating for dissolution of the ego. The ego is not inherently bad. It’s what we do with it.