Passion has two sides: it beautifies everything, or it destroys everything.

What it means

The same desire that makes the world shine can burn a life down. Jung's image is the moth drawn to the flame. Respect your passion, and point it carefully.

The source

"Passion has two sides: it beautifies everything, or it destroys everything." Carl Jung said it in Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part I, ch. IV 'The Song of the Moth'. Translated by Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916.

"The passionate longing, that is to say, the libido, has its two sides; it is power which beautifies everything, and which under other circumstances destroys everything."

Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part I, ch. IV 'The Song of the Moth'. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Carl Jung (1875–1961). Swiss psychiatrist who broke with Freud and founded analytical psychology. He mapped the persona, the shadow, the collective unconscious and the lifelong work of becoming yourself, which he called individuation. Our lines come only from his writings published before 1931, in our own translations from the German or in English translations of the time.

Questions

What does "Passion has two sides: it beautifies everything, or it destroys everything." mean?

The same desire that makes the world shine can burn a life down. Jung's image is the moth drawn to the flame. Respect your passion, and point it carefully.

Who said "Passion has two sides: it beautifies everything, or it destroys everything."?

Carl Jung (1875–1961). Source: Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part I, ch. IV 'The Song of the Moth'.

What is the original wording?

The passionate longing, that is to say, the libido, has its two sides; it is power which beautifies everything, and which under other circumstances destroys everything (Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916). Translated by Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916.

Is "Passion has two sides: it beautifies everything, or it destroys everything." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Passion has two sides: it beautifies everything, or it destroys everything." (Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious (1916), Part I, ch. IV 'The Song of the Moth', trans. Beatrice M. Hinkle, 1916). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/passion-has-two-sides-it-beautifies-everything-or