[ANALYSIS] BTS’ CONCEPTS FOR MAP OF THE SOUL 7 EXPLAINED!
Jung’s psychology is the only one that seeks the meaning of an individual’s life in his or her relationship to the problem of the opposites — good and evil, light and dark, love and hate.
The goal behind these four concept photos is the same as Jung’s psychology. It is to figure out the stages of inner development and of the growth of the personality.
01 Desire for perfection 완벽하고자하는 열망
The 1st concept photos show BTS wearing white. It’s considered the color of perfection. But their surrounding is anything but perfect. It’s in total ruins and there is a very apparent black hole that shows no end and is the definition of negativity and darkness. The marriage of BTS and that space makes no sense as it’s the reunion of two separate things: Perfection and imperfection. But what did they mean in this concept trying to express the desire for imperfection?
The realization of the self, which would logically follow from the recognition of its supremacy, leads to a fundamental conflict, to a real suspension between opposites, and to an approximate state of wholeness that lacks perfection… . The individual may strive after perfection … but must suffer from the opposite of his intentions for the sake of his completeness.
Recognition of the Shadow leads to the modesty we need in order to acknowledge imperfection. And it is just this conscious recognition and consideration that are needed whenever a human relationship is to be established. A human relationship is not based on differentiation and perfection, for these only emphasize the differences or call forth the exact opposite; it is based, rather on imperfection, on what is weak, helpless and in need of support — the very ground and motive for dependence. The perfect has no need of others, but weakness has, for it seeks support and does not confront its partner with anything that might force him into an inferior position and even humiliate him. This humiliation may happen only too easily when high idealism plays too prominent a role.
BTS who tried to strive to be the perfect group. Have the perfect stages, the perfect sons, the perfect moves for every choreography, the perfect words. Thus, become the perfect beings as idols realize that at the end they are only humans and no God-like creature. They learn to embrace their shadows that they have been running from all these years and become imperfect yet humble and well. In their case, if they didn’t realize and acknowledge their shadow. They will be too arrogant and might even break up as a group. Because as Jung explains. Perfect need no one because it’s perfect on its own. But imperfect need others to compliment him.
Jung said: “When one tries beyond one’s capacity to be perfect, the shadow descends into hell and becomes the devil”. THIS will lead us to the next concept.
02 Unquenchable thirst 채워지지않는 갈증
The second concept photos are darker than night. Based on the surroundings these happen in a place under the earth. It’s a dark place where the only light source is one provided from somewhere above. They are portrayed in this concept as beings wearing all black clothes and having dark big wings. It represents evil, darkness, night, and despair.
This concept shows us shadows that descended into hell and became the devil. What does that mean? When one tries desperately to be good and wonderful and perfect, then all the more the shadow develops a definite will to be black and evil and destructive.
People cannot see that; they are always striving to be marvelous, (it’s like an unquenchable thirst) and then they discover that terrible destructive things happen which they cannot understand, and they either deny that such facts have anything to do with them, or if they admit them, they take them for natural afflictions, or they try to minimize them and to shift the responsibility elsewhere.
The fact is that if one tries beyond one’s capacity to be perfect, the shadow descends into hell and becomes the devil.
When you accept the fact of your inferiority, it lives with you; you are it too, but not exclusively. You are not only white, one part is black, but both make the whole man. It is not wiping out the white substance when you accept the black—on the contrary; it is only when you can’t that things go wrong when there is nothing but white and nothing but black. That is simply neurotic.
BTS said in the past that they arrived at a point where they couldn’t stand the responsibility and the weight they were given by their fame and success. They even thought of disbanding. The cause was a huge, powerful and dark shadow that was getting bigger each moment because it was always ignored and hidden. BTS are humans and are not only white. However, they are in an industry that denies all black and want them to behave as pure and angelic individuals all the time. All of this resulted in inspiring this concept.
So how can someone heal? This will lead us to the next concept.
03 Sense of calling and will 소명의식과 의지
The 3rd concept looks like the ‘Last Supper’ by Leonardo Da Vinci. In this matter, Jung says in Mysterium Coniunctionis “If the projected conflict is to be healed, it must return into the psyche of the individual, where it had its unconscious beginnings. He must celebrate a Last Supper with himself, and eat his own flesh and drink his own blood; which means that he must recognize and accept the other in himself… .Is this perhaps the meaning of Christ’s teaching, that each must bear his own cross? For if you have to endure yourself, how will you be able to rend others also?”
How does that relate to the title? A sense of calling relates. to a person’s motivation to perform their duties. Historically, the origin of a sense of calling lies within the religious framework where the individual is said to receive a ‘transcendent summons, experienced as originating beyond the self, to approach a particular life role. The modern definition of calling includes a sense of purpose, direction, the desire to be helpful and personal fulfilment. On the other hand, ‘will’ has a different meaning, in this case it is the mental power used to control and direct your thoughts and actions, or a determination to do something, despite any difficulties or opposition.
If we combine everything listed above we get that personal fulfillment is key and to achieve it we must be determined to accept our shadows even if it’s not an easy task.
BTS in this concept are a dark room with a table full of food while most of them are drinking wine. They are comfortably sitting there. Their clothes are different shades and even if most of the pictures are black there are different colors. This is a BTS that came to accept their shadows and now showcase not only a white being. But ready to expose and accept the darkness too. What will this result in? The next and last concept will bestow the conclusion.
04 True Selves 진정한 자아
The 4th and last concept displays a photoset in each image. We even find one with many members in it. Some photos are in colors and others in black and white. Also BTS for the first time are smiling and they seem happy. These images show a BTS became able to show and know their true selves. Jung’s concept of individuation depends on one becoming one’s true, autonomous, and authentic self.
Jung believed that a human being is inwardly whole, but that most of us have lost touch with important parts of our selves. Through listening to the messages of our dreams and waking imagination, we can contact and reintegrate our different parts. The goal of life is individuation, the process of coming to know, giving expression to, and harmonizing the various components of the psyche. If we realize our uniqueness, we can undertake a process of individuation and tap into our true selves. Each human being has a specific nature and calling which is uniquely his or her own, and unless these are fulfilled through a union of conscious and unconscious, the person can become sick.
I trust you learned a little more about the concept photos and realize by now that they are not just mere photographs. I hope you like this post and pls if you repost it outside elsewhere or translate it, Credit me this way: Credit to mimibtsghost on Tumblr. Thanks for reading ^^
T.N: The titles used in this post were given by BigHit
By @mimibtsghost | Sources x & x & x
