Lot #171

Carl Jung

Description

“Your ideal of mirth or humour is as good as any other ideal: it lasts as long as it is there, and when one particularly needs it, it is not there”

TLS signed "C. G. Jung," one page, 8.25 x 5.75, personal letterhead, April 1, 1954. Letter to medieval art historian Summer Crosby, in full: "I often wondered what had become of you in those 40 years that went by in the meantime. Your ideal of mirth or humour is as good as any other ideal: it lasts as long as it is there, and when one particularly needs it, it is not there. By the way, Schopenhauer said that the one divine gift man possesses is humour, and he quotes the story of the thief that was led to the gallows on a cold Monday morning at 6 o'clock, and who said: 'This is a nice beginning of a week!' When your ideal holds like that, it must be a good one. I see from your letter that you are still busy and aware of the great problems of life. Being in the 79th year, I try to rest and to get disinterested in the many ways of going astray." In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, an unsigned glossy photo, and a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.

After decades of work secured Jung's place as a pioneer in the field of psychology, he returned to Zurich to live out his final years, continuing to publish and carry out numerous correspondences until the end of his life in 1961. This letter to medieval art and architecture historian Summer Crosby, who Jung may have met during his six-week lecturing stay at Fordham University in 1912, holds the wonderful intellect and humor for which Jung is often remembered. Musing over the ideal of humor and retelling Schopenhauer's story of the thief, he offers friendly support to a fellow scholar in one of the many fields influenced by his work.

Auction Info

• Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts
• Dates: #600 - Ended January 13, 2021

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