“The Confidence Gap” in Women: A Depth Psychology Perspective

In Jungian depth psychology, we understand men’s and women’s psyches are similar but different and that they each develop contrasexually. This is to say, there are parts of the psyche that are natural to men that are different from the parts that are natural to women. As we develop psychologically, we both benefit from integrating aspects natural to the opposite gender. This integration of opposites enhances our growing perspective of who we are in the world, in our relationships, and refines our sense of purpose in life.

Simply speaking, the energies which are natural to men’s psyches provide access to logical and analytical functions such as judging, evaluating, editing, and creating things out of ideas. These are important skills in the workplace where we are often called upon to prioritize, to eliminate unnecessary aspects of a project, and to push forward the completion of a process or product. This masculine energy is called the “animus” and is the contrasexual aspect of women’s psyches. Animus energy is very externally oriented and very much focused on the ego needs of the individual.

The energy which is natural to a woman’s psyche, seeks joining in relationships, focuses on the community good, nurturing the next generation, and cooperation between vying factions. This feminine energy is called the “anima” and is the contrasexual aspect of men’s psyches. The anima is often referred to as soul energy. It is connected to the universal or divine energy in all of us. Anima is the expression of soul through the instrument of our ego, providing us with an experience of a deeper sense of self.

Psychologically speaking, men’s natural animus aspect is already focused on ego needs and the expression of his value as an individual in the world. This tendency, along with the higher levels of testosterone which encourage risk taking behavior, along with an early socialization process that supports perseverance and resilience, gives men a natural edge in competing for leadership positions in logic, reason, and product oriented endeavors like business, politics, and the professional world. Women, who are naturally more tuned in to supporting the needs of others, may need to put additional psychological energy into developing animus traits in order to compete effectively with men in masculine oriented arenas.

The animus provides an important component of women’s psychological development. It helps her experience herself as a separate and valuable entity in relationships of every kind, at home, at work, and in the world. Development of the animus enables a woman to separate her emotional attachment to, or personal identification with relationships and opinions. When we consider that a woman’s natural creative energy is innately connected to bringing forth life from her own body, a being which she will love more than herself and protect with every ounce of her strength, the inclination to attach this same kind of fierce protective identification with mere ideas is understandable.

In summary, the positive animus helps a woman develop a layer of psychological protection for the parts of self that are vulnerable, providing her with a distancing shield known as the “professional persona.” This persona helps a woman weather disappointments, receive personal criticism, and set aside her natural feminine drive to subordinate her ego needs to others.

We call this development the “positive animus” because it supports the well-being of the individual. Over-development of negative animus traits results in dysfunctional self-criticism, low self-esteem, depression, inability to stand up for oneself, and even violence against the self. Positive animus traits also help counterbalance the natural feminine tendency to merge with or subordinate one’s energies to the good of the collective. Essentially, it helps one put one’s own ego needs first. In the workplace, this is called being assertive.

Developing unconscious parts of the self is called “differentiating” psychologically. We can think of this as adding new skill sets to our ego’s ever expanding resume. Inviting our animus or masculine energies into a greater level of conscious awareness empowers a woman in all aspects of life, and particularly in the workplace.

There are many ways of developing positive animus energies in our psyche. Read my article coming soon to my Just Stand Up & Talk blog entitled Commanding Respect in the Workplace to learn effective physical, vocal and interactive techniques to enhance your leadership skills.

Other methods involve working with the energies of the unconscious. By exploring the ways we have over-identified with dysfunctional roles like the Martyr, the Victim, the Hero, etc. we can encourage more effective parts of self to step into active roles in our lives and relationships. Read my upcoming article exploring the role of animus dream imagery in combatting over-identification with the Sacrificing Nurturer.

Share this: