Out On A Limb
This is another photo that surprised me when I looked more closely at it. If you look to the left-hand edge of the crane’s arm, you will see a man. When I took the photo I was more interested in the crane and the composition of the sky. I would have to say it is a “happy accident” to have the man in the image. How was it that I was able to take the photo at the precise moment that “he” would be at the edge of the arm as if “out on a limb?” Now, I know that I could never find myself in such a situation; well, not in the physical dimension.
“One can never give a description of a type, no matter how complete, that would apply to more than one individual, despite the fact that in some ways it aptly characterizes thousands of others. Conformity is one side of a man, uniqueness is the other. Classification does not explain the individual psyche. Nevertheless, an understanding of psychological types opens the way to a better understanding of human psychology in general” (Jung, CW 6, par 895)
I am impressed by those that can go out on a limb such as this man. I lack the courage and the temperament to stick out, to risk in full view of others. I prefer to keep low and stick to the shadows and not be noticed all that much, at least most of the time. Personally, I prefer to take risks and go out on a limb within my inner landscapes. There I know I have my privacy and there I have the courage to do what I would never consider in the outer world. So, what does that say about me? What does the image say about the man at the edge of the crane’s boom? Are these kinds of questions even worth considering when one knows that each individual is exactly that, an individual?
I think that these are relevant questions that one needs to ask as one tries to understand oneself and at least a bit about others. For the next while, I will be using Daryl Sharp’s book, Jungian Psychology Unplugged as a take off point for my posts. That said, I will at times write just as the spirit moves me when a particular image evokes something that doesn’t fit with my reading of Sharp’s book. The first chapter of the book talks about psychological types. So, for the next while, I will likely find the faces of China as my photographic subject material. I invite questions and supplementary commentary in hopes that it will allow me a better chance to communicate with you in a fuller dialogue.
