The Dao of Jung
3 ways an Ancient Chinese philosophy influenced the West's greatest psychologist
This is a very special letter.
I’ve collaborated with the fantastic Zhenya Zerkalenkov of the Teacup of Dao to bring you his expertise in all things Daoism (or “Taoism”).
He’s kindly written a short introduction to this philosophy.
In the second-half, I explore how Jung’s work parallels these ideas.
Be sure to check out the Teacup of Dao for in-depth and enlightening insights into Daoism (it’s one of my favourite newsletters).
– Rowan
Life today often feels like a never-ending race.
Meet your deadlines, keep up with notifications, and somehow squeeze in self-care. We’re all trying to get somewhere, to keep moving forward.
But where exactly are we going? And what if the secret isn’t in the effort, but in learning to flow?
If these questions stir something within you, Daoism might have the answer.
At its core, Daoism isn’t about strict rules or fixed beliefs. Instead, it’s a philosophy—a way of living in tune with life’s natural rhythms. Imagine a river flowing smoothly through the landscape, neither rushing nor resisting against anything.
That’s the Dao, or “Way,” in action.
It’s not about mastery or control, but surrendering to something larger, something already at work beneath the surface.
Laozi, the 6th-century philosopher often seen as the founder of Daoism, captured this idea in the Daodejing: “The Dao never acts, yet nothing is left undone.” There’s a simple truth in this paradox—one that points us back to stillness and presence. Even as the world spins faster and faster.
Daoism is ancient wisdom for a modern dilemma.
Maybe that's why this philosophy became such a big source of inspiration for Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist who shaped our understanding of the human mind.
When Jung came across Daoist texts, he noticed deep connections to his own ideas about individuation—the journey of fully becoming yourself. Jung saw how Daoism’s focus on harmony was similar to the psychological process of balancing conscious and unconscious forces. This connection influenced his work.
And it even inspired him to explore the idea further in his commentary on the old Daoist alchemical book "The Secrets of the Golden Flower".
– Zhenya
“The East has taught us another, wider, more profound, and higher understanding, that is, understanding through life”
– Carl Jung
#1 The Tao & the Jungian Self
“It [the Tao] is always present within you. You can use it any way you want” – The Tao Te Ching, Ch. 6
Like the Dao, the Self transcends ego.
That is why it lives forever. The Ego isn’t pride, it’s the computer program you play life through. It shouldn’t be destroyed, not that it can:
“The ego is nothing other than the focus of conscious attention”
– Alan WattsEndeavour instead on transcendence.
This is simply realising that you are not your thoughts, and becoming aware of the deeper Self: The Observer. Jung’s theory of the Self is similar in that it aims to bring our understanding of “I” away from ego-identifications of “me,” “my story,” and “my thoughts” – towards a less conclusive, but more profound conceptualisation of personhood:
“The Self is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere” – C.G. Jung
#2 Yin-Yang (Feminine & Masculine)
"When male and female combine, all things achieve harmony" – The Tao Te Ching, Ch. 42 “Woman’s psychology is founded on the principle of Eros . . . the ruling principle ascribed to man is Logos” – C.G. Jung
Yin is the feminine universal principle:
Dark
Loving
Chaotic
Yang is the masculine principle:
Light
Logical
Orderly
It is a mistake to think one as better or more important.
A healthy relationship is a microcosm of this cosmic balance. One partner leads matters in decision-making and planing, the other ensures emotional connection to life and each other – the result is two whole people, who alone, are halves.
This also takes place in our psyches:
“Wholeness is not achieved by cutting off a portion of one’s being, but by integration of the contraries” – C.G. Jung
Dr Jung focused a lot of his work on the reconciliation of:
Duality
Paradox
Neglected traits
This turns internally alienated people into more complete characters.
We should work on our weaknesses, not bury them.
#3 Interconnectedness & Synchronicity
“The further one goes, the less one knows” – The Tao Te Ching, Ch. 47 “I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud” – C.G. Jung
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed science can’t explain everything.
As much as it’s rightfully disproven, it’s worth remembering that The Big Bang Theory is just that, a theory. It also fails to answer the fundamental question of existence: “why is anything even here in the first place?”
To this, we can safely say: nobody does, or will ever know.
If you’ve gotten into spirituality looking for answers, you’re in the wrong place.
The distinguishing factor between a legitimate and illegitimate religious practice, is the first prepares people for this unknowingness, the second provides anecdotal beliefs systems to help you forget.
But here’s the paradox:
You are an immortal soul, and life does have meaning.
It’s just that the human ego is finite, and by identifying with it, you are essence doomed to die. But by becoming the deeper awareness, you detach from mortality, and become part of the eternal.
Separateness is an illusion.
It’s one we created to function in a physical world.
That’s why: “The tao that can be spoken, is not the eternal Tao,” and why Jung said:
“The ego changes all the time, it has every kind of illusion, but the Self is as it is, there is nothing we can alter in it”
– C.G. Jung
That’s it!
Let me know your thoughts.
If you liked it, you’ll love Zhenya’s newsletter: Teacup of Dao.
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Suggested reading & bonus links
The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
The Tao Te Ching Read by Wayne Dyer on YouTube
 | A guest post by
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I always find it fascinating to see how philosophy and psychology connect.
This piece sings from beginning to end. I look forward to more collaborations. My favorite quote: “The Self is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere”
– C.G. Jung