March 14, 2025
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung first coined the term ”shadow” to describe aspects of our psyches that have been relegated to the unconscious. Jung believed that our shadow selves contain repressed emotions, thoughts, desires, insecurities, and fears. He theorized every individual has an inherent tendency to project their own unconscious thoughts, feelings, and motivations onto others, often as a defense mechanism.
Today, psychologists’ theories have evolved since Jung. They refer to these shadows as psychological blind spots. This is an essential concept in understanding cognitive biases and how they influence our behavior, relationships, and decision-making processes, reported the California Learning Resource Network.
“Psychological blind spots are those personal characteristics that we do not want to recognize,” wrote Jennifer Delgado, adding, the problem with psychological blind spots is that we assume these biases as trustworthy, thinking that we are immune to them, so we deceive ourselves.
According to Ron Passfield, Ph.D, blind spots can negatively impact every facet of our lives including decisions and relationships as they are often due to cognitive biases and personal defense mechanisms. Additionally, our blind spots often manifest in our reactivity to stimuli whatever form they take.
Interestingly, Jung believed that our shadow selves are not evil or negative but a natural part of human nature.
According to a 2002 study by Princeton University social psychologists, we are unable to see our blind spots or recognize the impact of our biases and limitations on our judgment, behavior, and decisions. However, we do not have problems to recognize them in others, but we may have motivated ignorance to protect the image that we have formed of ourselves.
According to the California Learning Resource Network, there are a combination of factors that emerge to form blind spots:
- Unconscious biases
- Defense mechanisms
- Emotional repression
- Lack of self-awareness
- Cognitive dissonance
Next week, I will delve into the ways that our blind spots emerge. Our blind spots can manifest in various parts of our lives: relationships, professional lives, and our self perception. I will touch upon these in upcoming blog posts in the next several weeks.
As we become aware of our blind spots, we face them and can break free of their influence. Psychologists and counselors suggest that we can acknowledge our blind spots in several different ways including pursuing self reflection, seek feedback and constructive criticism, practice mindfulness, self-compassion and seek professional help.
Today, I will leave you with this quote:
“Do not believe everything you think, said Allan Lokos, author of Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living. “Thoughts are just that – thoughts. You cannot control the results, only your actions.”
Resources:
Image retrieved on 3/14/2025 from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/smiling-person-crowd-concept_6625250.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=36&uuid=580b87f2-77fd-4880-af42-698f2536661f&query=psychological+blind+spots
CLRN Team. “What is a blind spot in Psychology?” 11/18/2024. Retrieved on 3/12/2025 from https://www.clrn.org/what-is-a-blind-spot-in-psychology.
Delgado, Jennifer. “Psychological Blind Spots: What you do not know about you weakens you.” Retrieved on 3/12/2025 from https://psychology-spot.com/psychological-blind-spots/
Lokkos, Allan. Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living. Penguin Publishing Group. NY, NY ©2012
Nguyen, Joseph. “Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking is the Beginning & End of Suffering.” Full audio book. Retrieved on 3/12/2025 from ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Think’ Full-Length Audiobook (From The Author) – YouTube
Oppong, Thomas. “Beware of Your Shadow Self-Carl Jung: On Accepting Yourself completely.” Medium.com 5/3/2023 Retrieved from Beware of Your Shadow Self — Carl Jung | by Thomas Oppong | Personal Growth | Medium
Passfield, Ron. “Identifying our Blind Spots Through Observation and Reflection.” GrowMindfulness.com. January 25,2022. Retrieved on 3/12/2025 from https://growmindfulness.com/identifying-our-blind-spots-through-observation-and-reflection/
Tan, Emily. “Uncovering the Meaning of Blind Spots in Psychology.” Listen-Hard.com 2/8/2024 updated. Retrieved on 3/12/2025 from Uncovering the Meaning of Blind Spots in Psychology – Listen-Hard
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