Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and collaborator of Freud, has long been one of the thinkers I return to again and again. One of his most lasting contributions is the idea of archetypes—the basis of the single most read and shared post on this blog.
These five ideas aren’t complicated. They’re not even uniquely “psychological.” But Jung believed that if you could attend to these five areas, you’d be much more likely to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Jung believed that making progress toward happiness was built on five pillars:
- Health: Good physical and mental health.
- Relationships: Good personal and intimate relations, such as those of marriage, family, and friendships.
- Beauty: Seeing beauty in art and in nature.
- Work: A reasonable standard of living and satisfactory work.
- Philosophy: A philosophical or religious outlook that fosters resilience.
Health
Both physical and mental.
When we’re young, good health can feel like a default setting. But with age, it becomes something we must earn—through sleep, nutrition, movement, and recovery. At 52, I’ve found myself needing to work harder to maintain flexibility, strength, and a healthy weight. But Jung’s point remains timeless: good health—body and mind—is an important foundation. There is a scary saying: “we spend the first 50 years of our life spending our health to get money, and the last years of our life spending out money to get health.”
Relationships
Deep, enduring connections.
Proactively building strong, resilient relationships—especially with those closest to us. I believe a real relationship only begins after you’ve been through a real conflict. A relationship has to survive difficulty. As David Brooks says, learning how to stay in relationship with others—despite disagreement—is a life skill. Relationships are tested not by good times, but by how we handle the hard ones.
Beauty
The ability to see it—in art, in nature, in everyday life.
This isn’t passive. You have to train your eyes to look for beauty. I’ve noticed this while traveling, reading, and walking through unfamiliar streets. A few weeks ago, I landed on a Greek island and instantly recognized it from The Magus, a novel I’d loved years earlier. That sense of déjà vu, of wonder—it’s a reminder that beauty is everywhere if you’re looking. If I am in a rush, if I am only passing through here to get to there… I will always miss beauty. My children have helped me see things on our journeys that I would have missed… in my adult capacity to focus on the destination, losing my child capacity to witness the journey.
Work
Satisfying, sustaining work.
Jung didn’t say you need a “dream job.” But you do need work that gives you purpose and a reasonable standard of living—enough to eat and sleep well. Work that feels utterly disconnected from meaning or survival tends to eat away at us. Find some level of satisfaction in what you do, and life becomes lighter. I value an insight from Sadhguru: there are 3 types of people… and the third type has learnt to find meaning and purpose in their work.
Philosophy
A worldview that helps you face life’s inevitable difficulties.
Jung believed that a resilient philosophy helps you hold perspective in the face of pain, setbacks, or loss. For me, Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning brought this to life. Frankl’s message: suffering is unavoidable, but meaning is always possible. If you can frame hardship as part of the human experience—not as a personal curse—it changes how you live.
Thank you for being an important part of my own work and philosophy—for reading, subscribing, and sharing your reflections. This blog, and the videos, are part of my own process of finding meaningful work, building relationships, and continuing to grow.