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By Emmanuel Williams

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Whilst doing my homework at my desk job for my college, I read what I could of the required reading, but soon I had further questions, I gave them to Google Gemini, I pondered them myself, I had a cigarette, and had a realization.

I wanted to know the link between what my Ancient Civilizations course, which is mostly an archeology celebration (and defense), and the archetypes found by Jung and Joseph Campbell, and the training of martial arts about the types of opponents, as well as kata like snake, crane, and drunken master, etc.

It led me to the personal insight that the protagonist, or anyone, can fall within four stages over the growth of the story, their life, and cycle through each stage in a potential pattern of growth.

Beware, this is only a hypothesis stemming from an insight connected to prior knowledge of behavioral growth and hasn’t been tested in any way before being immediately shared to Stick Fist.

Hero: Ego. Mentor: Superego. Villain: Shadow. Id: Self preference.

Follow my logic…

If the Hero yearns for an identity far from his/her nurture, or present nature, then they seek a better self. Ego. Yet heroic, wouldn’t you say?

For example: 

“I am going to further my education. I am going to college. I am going to get a better job. One that pays more and gives me more options at a better quality of life.”

Heroic, yet expansive of one’s own identity. Ego.

Of course, you’ll have to protect your education from the many threats that I, as a currently enrolled student at Metro State, have known plenty of. From funding, to homelessness, to pure fucking scheduling of coursework, homework, and work-study duties (I have 4 positions with the school). So eventually you will have to prefer to save your time.

Self preference. Id.

Further to this point, what about your basic needs? Shelter, human interaction, food, water (you have no idea how constantly important this is!), you can’t preserve these needs without making them a priority.

Self preference. Id.

Then the Shadow creeps up. Your flaws, your addictions, your laziness, complacency, and desire to bruise, kill, or seriously injure based on slights to any number of frustrations. Not the least of which the protection of yourself or your loved ones. Most of them during travel as you attempt to navigate the maze of your town, city, or busy train station.

Let’s not forget the many faces of your own desperation. And what it leads you to do.

I am of the belief, however, based on prior knowledge, that the Shadow is not entered alone. There is always a deceiver around. 

Even if you steal for your friends there is an expectation that you are a thief historically or in the present. 

The Shadow is never entered alone, never without a leader. You can always trace your path among the shadows to your own White Rabbit…

No one chooses to enter their shadow on their own. Our conversation about desperation is not too far behind us. And it is, by my belief, the biggest Lucifer/Deceiver in the psyche.

It is now that you may seek wisdom, however far down the rabbit hole you have fallen.

And all your mother’s moral lessons seem far away. Some of us keep wisdom close, and know where to find it should our path even begin to veer off into the void.

Each of these “phases” has a character type to them. The Hero wants better for himself, even if it is for his/her village, tribe, or state. In order to do that he must protect his path. Leading the Id into the spotlight. The Villain wants to assuage, and hopefully finally (or momentarily) alleviate its desperation, without regard for others (and often at the expense his/her own life, progress, or that of others [Thanos]). But if there is wisdom within, or Mentor without, enough to save them from utter ruin, they will return to their ideals or skip the shadow stage altogether if their shadow has been properly identified, faced, and they are prepared should their own villains to be triggered.

Those who can skip the shadow phase, have filled the need that their individual desperation has always yearned for with healthy alternatives to the shadow. This is where we may find terms like “light”, “yin” and “hobby”, “productive habits”, “therapy”, “effective medication”, “personal effort”, “exercise”, and “doctor’s orders”.

Note the pattern is possibly cyclical.

There’s no need for each phase to show up in order. You could meet an opponent in any of these phases. And feel jealousy at both lower and higher levels of the spectrum presented here. 

All through our lives we walk into the hero and may come out wiser, or we may fall to the snares of the Devil within.

Have strength my friends. For if you do not have wisdom now, it can be found. If not without, then within.

I only pray we all choose our heroic utopia over the aches of our clawing desperation.

Vale (Latin for ‘Be Well’).