The face off

Ilike the idea of having a nemesis, an overarching foe with whom there will be an ongoing battle. I live the idea of having a complete opposite out there somewhere. I personally find that much more appealing than finding a doppelganger. If anything could make me get sick of myself, it would be too much time with someone just like me. Besides, nemesis is a word that feels great on the tongue.

A nemesis would mean something. A crucial stage in our development is knowing who we are. Sometimes that's most easily accomplished by knowing who we we are not, and a nemesis provides that definition. Because a nemesis is a source of harm and thus an enemy, having one also means that I'm significant and powerful enough to be a source of good. I also love the idea that a nemesis can't be defeated. Only an equal cannot be defeated. Meeting one's nemesis is the irresistible force and the immovable object. That moves the struggle to an epic scale, making me a hero! Where are my pearls of power? I must don them now.

Of course, having a nemesis means accepting that there will always be a battle. If you're not fighting now, you know that you will be someday. It's out there waiting for you. It's unavoidable and regardless of the potential for pain, injury and loss, you must fight. Just accepting that you have a nemesis means choosing bravery and facing challenges. It means preparing yourself for the battle during the times of peace. It means vigilance. It means having the guts to come to know both yourself and your enemy well. It means recognizing yourself in your enemy and not falling for the seduction of the particular evil that could snare you as easily as it did your foe. It's staring long and hard at the mask your nemesis is wearing and coming to realize that you're looking in a mirror. The nemesis is the ultimate Jungian shadow.

It's not out there somewhere. My foe is within me. It is me, and I can be the hero or villain of my own tale, and every day, the battle rages on.

This entry inspired by Sunday Scribblings.

Sunday Scribblings, nemesis, Jung