Jung Personality Complexes: Evidence from Mahabharata Characters

Abstract

Purpose: The research paper is an interesting blend of social science and mythology. The researchers explain how Jung personality complexes to Professional & Psychology students with the help of characters from Mahabharata. As the personality grows person develops some complex in their personality and which guides person’s behavior and aspirations in life. Each individual has different personalities and different type of complexes in them with different level of intensity. Thus, the outcome of the research helps individual personalities to discover them as well as to understand basic individual personality complexes.

Objectives: The researchers have set the following primary objective and the current study investigates 1 broad research question: To interpret characters from Mahabharata to explain Jung personality complexes.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study is based on both secondary & primary evidence. Hypotheses are stated for the various variables selected and analyzed to prove or disprove the same without any errors.

Findings/Result: There were correlations between Jung personality complexes & from Mahabharata characters to individuals with the ancient Indian texts. As much as individuals behave differently in different situations, our behavioural reactions can be clubbed into personality complexes as similar reactions across ages and cultures. To conclude, we can say that each one of us is uniquely different yet distinctively similar as well.

Research Limitations/Implications: In the present research an attempt is made by the researchers to understand the research gap in the area hence a conceptual idea is proposed and the research goes further to advance significance to discover the degree of relationship to interpret characters from Mahabharata to explain Jung personality complexes.

Originality/Value: Many of the earlier studies have proved the soul of Indian mythology is beyond simple good and evil. If one cares to dig deep, there’s an interesting story at each and every step. Psychologists explain this by segregating personality into a private and public persona. Private is the ‘real’ inner person, while public is the way that the individual presents themselves to the outside world. We may be confident and outgoing in some situations and less sure of ourselves and more retiring in other situations. A case where a shy reserved person joins an organization but eventually becomes an arrogant and stubborn boss. This fits the explanation of how our personalities differ situationally.

Paper Type: The study is based on both secondary & primary evidence. There are many characters in the Mahabharata, with each one having good and bad qualities. Many characters are similar in personality complexes but differ in their ethical characteristics. Hence researchers have tried to identify and give the major characters in the research. However, this is not a definitive list.