Written in response to the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago's two-part podcast conversation about Hilde Lynn Helphenstein — revisited here in light of her recent death.
I hadn't heard of Hilde before the other day since I stay off most social media. From the sounds of it I'm not surprised that someone who felt completely helpless began to be relatable to others and went viral with their sharp cynicism and knowledge as power kind of challenge to the 'elites'. One of the problems with that though is that the role inherently shifts once the satirist becomes powerful themselves.
"Let's commiserate about how elites use their power" becomes the psychological weight of bearing that responsibility. The pressure to mask and become a saint rather than be the messy authentic version of oneself that was initially relatable.
Learning about "enantiodromia" here is incredibly valuable, but I think binary thinking around it can be dangerous. We need to practice self-acceptance, not shame, over the masks we wear to protect ourselves. Even Hilde's language about "extricating her demons" feels loaded with internal judgment about which parts of her psyche are "good" or "bad" instead of feeling like a whole person who contains both.
With how tragically her story turned out I just want to stress here for anyone struggling with their sense of needing to mask or protect themselves to try and respect your ingenuity and imagination even if what it's come up with makes you uncomfortable. Our demons may perform useful roles for us but they don't define who we are.
The conversation