“What're you rebelling against, Johnny?” “Whaddya got?” – The Wild One
The Rebel Archetype is an important figure in Jungian Psychology. When someone is engaged by this powerful, subconscious idea in a positive manner, it represents the creative urge; invention; innovation; and the ability to bring about positive social changes. In its shadow form, it can turn someone with its destructive force, causing the people who identify with it to rebel due to peer pressure, follow a fashion trend (trapping the follower in a different system that requires conformity) and/or engage in meaningless criminal acts.
Johnny Cash, Sid Vicious, Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Tyler Durden are all examples of the Rebel Archetype. Whether fictional or real these figures have inspired people to reject society’s standards and to define their lives in ways that they find personally valid. In many cases they serve as role models for those who feel that they don’t fit in with their peers or their society. When people are able to associate with the positive aspects of these characters they become a source of power, influence, and self-acceptance.
Acting rebellious at times, as long as one is physically and mentally safe, is an important part of childhood development. The rebellious teenager is acting out in an attempt to separate themselves from their parents, become their own person, and develop a fully functioning psyche. Rebellion in this sense expands horizons; opens minds and makes one aware of where their boundaries should be. Life would be boring if we all followed the rules and refused to take risks. Learning from the inevitable mistakes that follow adolescent rebellion are things that can’t be taught; they may only be learned by real life experiences. Identifying with the Rebel Archetype may also impart to the seeker the same strength and begins a similar process of understanding and knowing oneself.
Positive rebellion, questioning the way things are done and forging one’s own path in life has a creative and positive result. Some people may even find inspiration in rebellion that comes from a negative place and which is ultimately destructive. A friend, who had herself grown up in a strict, religious home and never rebelled, once confided in me that she was oddly proud when her 15-year-old daughter began to act out in a rebellious fashion. The girl ran away from home numerous times, became promiscuous, eventually became pregnant, flaunted all authority, and often behaved like a common criminal. There was no question that the girl’s behavior caused the mother, the daughter, and her family great pain and distress. In this case the daughter came to represent the Rebel Archetype, despite the very real pain involved, and the mother recognized her own unrealized creative urges in her daughter’s struggles.
The popularity of the character Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies is a prime example of the fictional Rebel Archetype and the place it occupies in the collective consciousness. When confronted by such a person in reality, society would be justified in labeling them as a sociopath, and incarcerating them. Yet the character is viewed as a hero, and has been the driving force behind a multi-billion dollar movie and marketing franchise.
The popularity of the character Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies is a prime example of the fictional Rebel Archetype and the place it occupies in the collective consciousness. When confronted by such a person in reality, society would be justified in labeling them as a sociopath, and incarcerating them. Yet the character is viewed as a hero, and has been the driving force behind a multi-billion dollar movie and marketing franchise.
For years rock stars have engaged in behaviors that would land someone less famous in prison, a mental hospital, or the grave. Unfortunately, some of them have ended up in just such places, but, perhaps because of their status, they seem to escape much of the stigma usually associated with these behaviors. More conservative members of society often idolize these figures in spite of their own beliefs and contrary values. Think about the ostensibly conservative executive who wears a Jimi Hendrix tie to work every Friday or listens to Slayer everyday on their commute home. This person sees the value inherent in the Rebel Archetype, and honors it with these simple statements.
In their most benign form it’s normal and healthy to idolize even the more negative aspects of the figures that represent the Rebel Archetype. They allow us to safely engage and exercise our creative and destructive urges in a manner that is socially acceptable. They represent the fire that drives innovation, creativity, and a refusal to accept the status quo. Without this urge, our lives would be stagnant and dull. The world would be a poorer place lacking many great works of art, literature, and music. We would be deprived of inventions like the light bulb, the automobile, and the personal computer. Oppressed and marginalized people would be without a voice, and the United States would not exist without the energy provided by the Rebel Archetype and its more practical realizations.
