Summary of Robert A. Johnson's Owning Your Own Shadow

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 The civilizing process, which is the brightest achievement of humankind, consists of culling out those characteristics that are dangerous to the smooth functioning of our ideals.

We all are born whole, but somewhere early on, we eat one of the fruits of the tree of knowledge and begin the shadow-making process.#2 The process of becoming an adult is to develop a clearly defined ego and shadow, a system of right and wrong, and a teeter-totter with two sides.

The religious process consists of restoring the wholeness of the personality.#3 We must make a shadow, or there would be no culture.

We must then restore the wholeness of the personality that was lost in the cultural ideals, or we will live in a state of dividedness that becomes more and more painful throughout our evolution.#4 The seesaw is a law that all our characteristics must be somewhere in this inventory.

Nothing may be left out. The seesaw must be balanced if we are to remain in equilibrium.

If we indulge characteristics on the right side, they must be balanced by an equal weight on the left side.