The Psychology of The Wise Old Man

The Wise Old Man or Sage is an archetype that is recognised by almost everyone, be it in stories, games, movies, or everyday life. In myth he is often shown as one living in isolation, meditating and living a simple life deep in a forest, in the mountains, or in other uninhabited places. The Wise Old Man is a lover of wisdom, and uses his experience to guide others. He is portrayed as a mysterious person or a wizard, in contact with nature and the numinous and unseen forces that permeate our existence.

The Wise Old man appears as a teacher of wisdom such as King Solomon from the Bible. In Hermeticism, he is Hermes Trismegistus, the fount of all wisdom and the teacher of the mystery of all ages. In China, the sage is Lao Tzu ("old man" or "old master"), the founder of Taoism, while in India there are the sadhus and yogis. In Arthurian Legend he is Merlin, in Nietzsche he appears as the prophet Zarathustra, and in Carl Jung as Philemon. In modern popular fiction we have Yoda, Gandalf and Dumbledore, among others.

In the individuation process (the lifelong journey towards psychic wholeness), the archetype of the Wise Old Man is late to emerge, and is therefore seen as an indication of the Self (the total personality).

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📚 Recommended Reading

▶ Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey - Sallie Nichols
▶ Awakening the Heroes Within - Carol S. Pearson
▶ Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Friedrich Nietzsche
▶ The Red Book - Carl Jung
▶ C.W. Vol. 9.1: The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious - Carl Jung

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🎶 Music used

1. Crystal Dream Mix Background Music - CO.AG Music
2. Dark Ambient Background Music - The Lost - CO.AG Music
3. Dreams Become Real - Kevin MacLeod
4. Ambiment - The Ambient - Kevin MacLeod
5. Extrapolation - Scott Buckley
6. Haunting Atmospheric Background Music - Nobody is Home - CO.AG Music
7. Evening Fall Harp - Kevin MacLeod
8. The Long Dark - Scott Buckley
9. Heartbreaking - Kevin MacLeod

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📝 Sources

- Awakening the Heroes Within - Carol S. Pearson
- Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey - Sallie Nichols
- Carl Jung, C.W. 9.1: Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. “The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales”
- Senex and Puer - Hillman
- Archetypal Tarot - The Hermit

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⌛ Timestamps

(0:00) Introduction
(1:35) The Symbolism of the Desert
(3:30) The Hermit and The Wandering Ascetic
(5:00) The Wise Old Man Archetype
(12:32) Senex and Puer Aeternus
(14:47) The Dark Side of The Wise Old Man
(18:34) The Wise Old Man and The Hero
(19:44) The Dangers of Identifying as The Sage
(21:00) The Hermit in Tarot
(24:35) The Hermit and The Madman Archetype
(27:18) Facing Death in Old Age
(28:08) The Forgotten Art of Solitude
(32:48) The Sage’s Journey: The Search for Truth
(35:20) The Eternal Inner Centre
(37:24) The Book of Ecclesiastes: Meaninglessness
(38:47) The Truth Shall Set You Free
(39:50) Conclusion

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#wisdom #sage #wiseoldman #archetype

[Eternalised]

*“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”*


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[rubyhind]

"depression is the cry of the soul for growth" this one hit deep. thank you.🙏🥀 🌊

[BrettyPOV]

One who looks outside, dreams.
One who looks inside, awakens.

[yezzenkhazindar]

"Keep me away from the wisdom that does not cry, the philosophy that does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children." (Khalil Gibran)

[kavitamins]

Beautiful summary!
Without contraries is no progression, and so the balance between the wise old sage and eternal youth is to gain wisdom without losing potential.

[r.w.bottorff]

Any person with a strong mind can be smart, but of those, only those with a strong heart may be wise.

[williamwebster]

To end this with a stunning quote from William Blake genuinely brought a tear to my eye, thank you so much.

[holderlinsson]

"Wisdom is found with the elderly,
and understanding comes with long life."
- Job 12:12 (BSB)

[waywyrdweazel]

Babe wake up, Eternalized just dropped another knowledgeable classic

[Stoitism]

Your channel has been a great help to me after being thrust into an identity & meaning crisis following my ASD diagnosis earlier this year at the age of 42. I just wanted to say thank you for the effort you put into your videos. They've helped me navigate what has been one of the most challenging times in my life so far and I truly appreciate what you do. Thank you!

[mjk]

"Faith leads the willing and drags along the reluctant."

So
Very
True


GOD BLESS
🌿💕🌿

[IlIlIlIlIlIlIllIlIII]

Amazing video, as always. This has grown to become my favorite channel on Youtube. Also a minor applause for the pronounciation of Kierkegaard; not many dare touch the Danish language but the sage who has ventured into its grainy pits and escaped unscathed.

[icalderongutierres]

I just want to share that my favorite Archetypical sage figure so far is Faria Abbad from Count of Montecristo. He felt like a father, he instructed Dantes to be a better man, was comprehensive of his thrist for revenge and helped him figure out about the ones who betrayed him.

[abbasalchemist]

What a masterpiece of composition! To be wise would be to refer back to this video endless times as you journey forth in life!

[Blintedhaa]

Your channel is a blessing upon this community. Thanks

[nothomelessonyoutube]

It's crazy to me that this was real. When I found out life is a story. When I met my Old Man archetype. He made me realize so much. I'm very excited to one day play that role myself.

[hhwippedcream]

This has been one of my favorite creations of yours. Hats off. Mind-changing, realistic in relation, and empowering. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 3 times given, 3 times multiplied, 3 times understood.

[Saintlui]

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Get wise fellas, and you'll be part of the solution 🙌

[flosounds]

This is an absolute treasure of a contribution. Packed with centuries of condensed knowledge, while being narrated effortlessly and politically. Thank you for helping me by contributing this.

[ReynaSingh]

There is an element of the sage in each of us, the desire to know ourselves fully is essential to the human experience