We cling to our history with tenacity precisely because to think of ourselves in other ways is either intimidating or unimaginable. But the human psyche imagines more

The problem with complexes is that they have no imagination. They can only say over and over the phenomenological message of their origins.

But the psyche has a much larger perspective on our lives. It imagines much more for us than the ordinary ego can comprehend. …Just as we periodically clean the house, go through old clothes and discard the no longer germane, so we have to go through our accumulated histories, our driving attitudes, reflexes and responses and discard what is no longer useful, productive, relevant or serving growth.

James Hollis, Living an Examined Life: Wisdom for the second Half of the Journey