To live, give up the longing for the past. Climb to your own height.

Carl Jung, Wandlungen und Symbole der Libido (1912), Part II, ch. VII 'Die zweifache Mutter'

What it means

Everyone feels the pull back toward an easier, safer, earlier time. Jung says growth means giving that up on purpose. The climb is yours alone and it is uphill.

The source

"To live, give up the longing for the past. Climb to your own height." Carl Jung said it in Wandlungen und Symbole der Libido (1912), Part II, ch. VII 'Die zweifache Mutter'. Translated from the original German by Spartan Surfers.

"Soll er leben, so hat er zu kämpfen und seine Sehnsucht nach Rückwärts zu opfern, um zu seiner eigenen Höhe emporzusteigen."

Original German, Wandlungen und Symbole der Libido (1912), Part II, ch. VII 'Die zweifache Mutter'. Text read at archive.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 "To live, give up the longing for the past. Climb to your own height." mean?: Everyone feels the pull back toward an easier, safer, earlier time. Jung says growth means giving that up on purpose. The climb is yours alone and it is uphill.
Who said "To live, give up the longing for the past. Climb to your own height."?: Carl Jung (1875–1961). Source: Wandlungen und Symbole der Libido (1912), Part II, ch. VII 'Die zweifache Mutter'.
What is the original German?: Soll er leben, so hat er zu kämpfen und seine Sehnsucht nach Rückwärts zu opfern, um zu seiner eigenen Höhe emporzusteigen. Translated from the original German by Spartan Surfers.
Is "To live, give up the longing for the past. Climb to your own height." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 6 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"To live, give up the longing for the past. Climb to your own height." (Carl Jung, Wandlungen und Symbole der Libido (1912), Part II, ch. VII 'Die zweifache Mutter', translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/to-live-give-up-the-longing-for-the