The self and its nature has been a primary focus in Western philosophy. Modern philosophy from René Descartes to David Hume to John Locke argue that self-reflection is key to understanding the self. But the self itself is a fluid concept eventually evading the definitions– philosophers and thinkers have been assigning it. Carl Gustav Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, divided the self into two–Shadow and Persona for comprehending the self and its nature.

Jung envisioned individuation as the self’s journey to wholeness, where one transcends the masks of persona to uncover the true self. Unlike individualism, which adepts to superficial identities for societal approval, individuation seeks the essence of self. This process may begin with self-accountability, embracing both one’s strengths and limitations, as the path to genuine self-realization—the ultimate purpose of life.

This brings us to one central question about human nature pertaining to whether humans are inherently good or bad, or more profoundly, whether human nature itself is transcendentally virtuous or corrupt. Unlike material realities, human nature is immaterial and elusive, resisting precise quantification. We can only offer predictions and approximations. This suggests that the predisposition of human nature depends on the existing archetypal eco-systems of which the human self is either a product or a resistant product.

These ecosystems are not only confined to contestations between material and immaterial culture but also influence ‘human condition’ in multifarious ways . The stories we plough through and the characters we wrestle within literature can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. For example, reading dystopian novels can evoke........

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