Journal of Psychology and Theology, Summer, 1982, 10(2), 113-119

DESACRALIZING LIFE AND ITS MYSTERY:

THE JONAH COMPLEX REVISITED

PIERRE-E. LACOCQUE
Southeast Community Mental Health Center
Chicago. Illinois

This paper reexamines the psychological conditions giving rise to the temptation to
run away from social responsibilities and personal growth (the "Jonah complex").
Abraham Maslow is here criticized for his self-actualization theory and his narrow
interpretation of the Jonah complex. He sees the latter as a fear of God-like possi­
bilities in ourselves but does not connect it to a rejection of the universal moral
imperative to love and respect all that lives. It is argued that what lies at the roots of
the Jonah Complex are two basic psychological prods: The first is the fear of death,
and the second is the desacralization of life and the trivialization of its meaning.

Since time immemorial, men and women logical conformity" as I prefer, it arises when­
have lived together in groups. In order to sur­ ever one blindly accepts the norms of the
vive hunger and extinction, they learned to de­ group without assessing their ethical implica­
pend on each other and eventually es­ tions for personal and collective growth. As
tablished highly structured social relation­ May (1962a, 1962b) puts it, pathological con­
ships. These were founded on ground rules formity is the equivalent to maintaining a pro­
and norms to favor the fulfillment of the tective shield so that one will not be singled
needs of everyone involved. But this out from others, a kind of death-in-life. Says
primordial conformism with agreed-upon May (1953): "It is a tendency of the indivi­
rules was exaggerated over time and that dual to let himself be swallowed up in a sea of
which was originally meant to serve as limits collective responses and attitudes .... It is a
not to be transgressed became a uniformizing loss of awareness, the loss of your poten­
pattern. tialities and sensitivities, the loss of whatever
It is indeed intriguing why men and women characterizes you or me as a unique and orig­
have so generally opted for uniformity and for inal being" (p. 55). Such automaton confor­
the trivial in life instead of committing them­ mity is the surrendering of one's conscious­
selves to the respect, the preservation, and the ness and the destroying of one's self-hood,
enhancement of all that lives. Whatever name both leading the person to actualize a pseudo­
be given to this widespread social phenome­ self (Fromm, 1941). It is so strong a magnet
non, be it called "automaton" or "compulsive for some people in fact, that it is likely to
conformity" (Fromm, 1941) or "patho- atrophy creative fantasies necessary for
making mature decisions (Ungersma, 1976).
This article is an expanded version of a book chapter It is the purpose of the article to explore
appearing in Lacocque and Lococque (1981).
the psychological conditions giving rise to the
Requests for reprints should be sent to Pierre-E.
Lacocque, Ph.D., Southeast Community Mental Health temptation to run away from social responsi­
Center, 3030 East 92nd Street, Chicago, 1L 60617. bilities and growth herein called the "Jonah

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 DESACRALIZING LIFE AND ITS MYSTERY

complex." Even though this pathological phe­ documented in the psychotherapeutic litera­
nomenon is well acknowledged in the litera­ ture (Angyl, 1953; Cohen, 1961; Freud,
ture, the interpretations of its causes differ. 1915/1957; Maslow, 1968; and Tresemer,
All agree that automaton conformity is a 1977). Jung (1956) was the first to label this
symptom of a more deeply rooted problem. In escape mechanism the"J onah-and-the-Whale
presenting an existential viewpoint on this Complex." Though he explained it to be a
complex, I shall argue against the self-actuali­ regression to womb-like irresponsibility, he
zation group of psychological thinkers for did not elaborate much on his concept. It is to
whom listening to one's biological dictates Maslow (1967), however, that we must give
and acting upon them represents the highest credit for integrating this existential phe­
form of authenticity and constitutes the nomenon within the framework of a theory of
ultimate ethical criterion for ascribing healthy growth and motivation. He first
"healthy" meanings to life. The Jonah called this defense mechanism "fear of stand­
syndrome or complex, according to this stand, ing alone," "fear of one's greatness,"
is generally seen as an avoidance of actualiz­ "evasion of one's destiny," or "fear of knowl­
ing what "feels good" to the individual and a edge" until he adopted the term "J onah
fear of the consequences it might bring to syndrome. "2
one's self-image. Maslow writes (1967):
In contradistinction to this intrapsychic [The Jonah syndrome] is a falling short of what one could
belief, it is here argued that what lies behind have been, and even one could say, of what one should
the pathological avoidance of social responsi­ have been .... We all have unused potentialities or not
fully developed ones .... We enjoy and even thrill to the
bility are two basic underlying psychological God-like possibilities we see in ourselves in our most
prods: The first is the fear of death, and the perfect moments. And yet we simultaneously shiver with
second is the desacralization 1 of life and the weakness, awe, and fear before those very same possibili­
ties .... I have found it easy enough to demonstrate the
trivialization of its meaning. It will be here Jonah syndrome to my students simply by asking ..."
emphasized that in searching for the meaning "Who aspires to be a saint, like Schweitzer, perhaps?
of life, one ultimately must look at life itself Who among you will be a great leader?" Generally, every­
body starts giggling, blushing and squirming until I ask,
and its source (cf. Psalm 36: 10). More "If not you then who else?" (pp. 161, 163)
specifically, one must by existential necessity,
raise the ontological problem and make a Change implies risk, he explained, and that is
double discovery: God is the ground of Being exactly what most people fear. For many of
(Tillich, 1967) and He is so both in actuality us, it is better to remain within the safe and
and in the historical process by way of the known, better to blend into the mass and
dialogue with humanity. As the Outer Voice, conform than to find out new knowledge
He is contrasted with the subjective, inner about ourselves that might force us to
voice of the self-actualizing theorists - the reexamine the meaning of our lives (Maslow,
inner voice of physiological needs and desires. 1968). Though Maslow did intuit, correctly I
The significance of this distinction between believe, that we all seem to spontaneously shy
the inner voice and Outer Voice, with its away from the best in ourselves, he did not
implications, will be described below, after
the Jonah complex has been articulated more
'The term "desacralization" was coined by M ircea
fully and after Maslow's self-actualizing Eliade (1961). He defined it as a refusal to detect awe and
rationale for it has been presented. mystery surrounding life. Among other "symptoms" of
this defense mechanism we find the refusal to give
The Jonah Complex spiritual meaning to life and the trivialization of human
relationships.
The temptation to run away from responsi­ 'This term was first coined by Frank Manual (cf.
bility, pain, and loneliness has widely been Maslow, 1967).

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 PIERRE-E. LACOCQUE

specify which human talents and "best" way we can ever know what's right for us is
potentialities need actualization and which what feels better subjectively than any other
ones need to be held in check. Furthermore, alternatives .... What tastes good is also, in
the question "Self-actualization for whose the growth sense, 'better' for us" (1968, pp.
sake?" is only vaguely attended in his 45, 48).
writings, leaving the readers to believe that as This [Link] psychological viewpoint
long as people act according to their feelings, ultimately interprets meaning in life via a
they are authentic and growing healthily. A reliance on one's own feeling apparatus for
look at Maslow's self-actualization theory ascribing ethical validity to personal values
will illuminate these points and further clarify and behaviors. For Maslow and his
his position on the Jonah complex. colleagues, authenticity is basically inter­
preted as the capacity to listen to oneself and
Maslow's Self-Actualization Theory act according to what feels good. Such a
process, which I call "listening to the inner
Summary voice" or "listening to the voice from within,"
An intrinsic component of Maslow's theory implies that individuals fulfill their most
of self-actualization is his concept of the immanent potentialities by relying on their
human need hierarchy (Maslow, 1970). This own convictions, norms, values, or
hierarchy is structured into five components. consciences. The Jonah syndrome 3 thus is
The most basic of human needs, according to seen as a fear of actualizing all the potentiali­
him, are physiological. These are followed by ties one has because such an event might bring
safety needs, esteem needs, and are culmi­ about changes which require leaving behind
nated by self-actualization needs. This is to the safe and the known.
say, a person who is lacking food, safety, love, Though Maslow (1968, 1971) talked about
and esteem would most likely hunger for food the importance of having altruistic motives in
more strongly than for anything else. Maslow detecting one's vocation, he did not make this
(1970) feels that once physiological needs are statement the core of his work and message.
met, other needs emerge and dominate the He made self-actualization the primary goal
organism. When these in turn are satisfied, to reach. One cannot avoid observing that
new and still higher needs emerge. He other, more altruistic goals appear as luxuries
explains thusly (1968): "Man's higher nature attained by only a happy few, since needs like
rests upon man's lower nature, needing it as a sleep, hunger, sex, affiliation, and self-esteem
foundation .... Man's higher nature is must all be met prior to encountering meta­
inconceivable without a satisfied nature as a needs. The latter are "less urgent or demand­
base" (p. 173, emphasis mine). Man is thus ing, weaker" (Maslow, 1971, p. 312).
imprisoned, highly dependent on his animal­
istic and biological heritage. His higher Critique
nature is "inconceivable" without first the
One of the fundamental sources of con­
satisfaction of biological needs.
fusion in addressing the Jonah complex and
Self-actualization or the fulfillment of all
the concept of self-actualization lies in the
these needs is what Maslow considers as the
healthiest response to life. Self-actualization
for him means "doing the best with one's 'It is interesting to note that both Maslow and Manual
capacities as the world permits" (1954, p. 20), have wavered in their use of the expression "Jonah
or the "full use and exploitation of talents, syndrome" or Jonah complex" without defining either
term. Jonah complex is to be preferred to Jonah
capacities, potentialities" (1970, p. 150). In syndrome because the latter would indicate sheer
fact, he goes so far as stating that "the only accidentality and circumstantiality.

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use and abuse of the term "authenticity": place. This is to say that the authentic-self
It covers divergent and, indeed, conflicting stage is not built upon the ruins of the prior­
anthropological notions. Are those whose self stage. What basically occurs in this
actions are conformed with and fitted to their reaching-out process is that the individual,
beliefs authentic? If so, then there are as many rather than listening to the "voice from
authenticities as there are belief systems. If with-in" (the voice of the biological dictates),
one's beliefs are founded upon the ultimate opts for a higher frame of reference in ascrib­
value of happiness and self-actualization, for ing meaning to life. The instincts of the prior­
instance, authenticity consists in realizing self stage, in fact, are used and transcended
what "feels good" and is rewarding. for other purposes than mere self-preser­
Murderers, then, have their own "authen­ vation. Instead of listening to one's inner
ticity" which they achieve through homicide. voice, one is now listening to an outer voice.
Authenticity is thus a contextual notion; it Certainly, there are a multitude of "outer
does not convey in and of itself any ethical voices" to which one can listen. The Reverend
judgment. It appears that modern psy­ Jones of Jonestown, Julius Caesar, and Adolf
chology, as represented by Maslow, often Hitler, for instance, all listened to an outer
abuses the term, investing it with a magical voice calling them to save the world and to
ring which hides its empty content. The build a special kind of community. There are,
question remains, however: "Authenticity to numerous outer voices enticing us with all
what?" kinds of rewards and successes. That is
There are two possible referents to authen­ precisely where they reveal their falseness,
ticity: (a) Authenticity to an "inner voice," for they are nothing but inner voices in
and (b) authenticity to an "outer voice." disguise. They flatter our egos; they do not
Authenticity to an inner voice is basically point to higher achievements worthy of our
comprised of listening to one's biological efforts and even sacrifices, but direct us to
dictates as primary means to personal growth. only adorned mirrors where we can
The inner voice can also be called by complacently and narcissistically admire our
numerous other names: Inner potential, inner selves. The outer voice of Hitler's hearing was
drives, personal conscience, the seWs rights, only the demonic whispering that his mania
and so forth. This "prior-self stage," as I call was sacred rage, that his megalomania was
it, is an involvement with natural concerns for divine appointment. Ultimately this spurious
the self. But, growth demands that we break outer voice makes one run in circles. The
the monologue with ourselves and acknow­ encounter is never with the Other, with God,
ledge a greater external reality asking us to but with the most terrible idol of all: The
transform our narcissistic preoccupations into isolated self. There are indeed numerous outer
love, humility, and reverence for life. With voices rooted in pathogenic realms
this recognition, we are ready to pass from the (Lacocque, in press; Lacocque & Lacocque,
prior-self stage to an "authentic-self stage," 1981 ).
for there is authenticity where there is active Strictly speaking, however, there is only
involvement and genuine concern for other one Voice which comes from without. He
human beings and life in general. does not flatter; He does not make
This second stage, the authentic-self, is the complacent; He does not promise success or
complete reversal but not the abandonment of happiness, but hardship (cf. Joshua 24,
the prior-self stage. It is an on-going self-de­ Genesis 22, the Cross, and in Jonah's task).
centralization, a ceaseless taking-off for He commands and commissions and breaks
which the springboard is necessarily the self, all selfish circles. The human becomes a
that with which we entered life in the first "Thou" and by the same token is granted an

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objective reality which before was being (Bulka, 1974; Frankl, 1955; Spero, 1980). It is
sought in vain within the self. It must there­ only when we accept our mortality and even
fore be very clear that by "Outer Voice" I am appreciate it (Goodnick, 1977) that we can
referring to the voice of God as detected by find the road toward optimal health. To
Israel's sages and found in the Holy become reconciled with death is the most
Scriptures. It is the voice of the One who "impossible" of human tasks, however; for to
commands Jonah - everyone - to respond recognize our finitude is to accept our ulti­
to life with love, humility, and respect. It is mate helplessness in the face of destiny. No
the voice of God who commands to choose wonder, therefore, that we often avoid look­
life in order to live (Deuteronomy 30) and to ing deeply within ourselves and into the
actual ize our potentialities within these bottomless pit of existence, lest we come face
ethical boundaries. One could perhaps to face with death itself. Nowhere more
characterize the "first birth" as being for effectively than in pathological conformism
oneself and the second one as being for the do we unleash such counterproductive
world. reactions. Through "disappearing" in the
crowd, people are willing to sacrifice prac­
The Jonah Complex Revisited tically everything they have, including their
Being-for-the-world defies our most own humanness, just to avoid being singled
natural instinctual drives. It implies having out by the "eyes" of death and finding them­
the courage to detect and acknowledge a selves isolated from others. It is indeed less
greater reality than one's own subjective threatening to deny suffering in the world, to
world. It requires changing one's priorities root for a favorite sports team, or to idealize a
and becoming responsible for more than movie star than to be actively committed to
oneself. We shiver at the thought of becoming improve the human condition.
beings-for-the-world because it means risk­ The Jonah complex is a rejection of our
ing rejection by others for being different, and God-like potentialities (e.g., our unique
thus becoming isolated and alone. Aloneness capacity for concern, charity, and empathy).
is exactly what we want most to avoid. We all It is a pathological ambivalence before our
instinctively know that to be alone, especially real and authentic greatness, a greatness we
for long periods of time, indeed means facing have inherited like life itself and for which we
death. And to accept one's mortality as reality must give account. We fear becoming beings­
is to shatter dreams of being special, invulner­ for-the-world because of the over-whelming
able, even immortal (Becker, 1973; Rank, demands associated with the choice it implies.
1936; Yalom, 1980). Like Moses (Exodus 4: 13) and Jeremiah
True wisdom is reached when one recog­ (Jeremiah I), for example, we dread not
nizes that, ultimately, life does not belong to having enough strength within ourselves to
anyone. It is a loan that must be returned sustain the ethical pressures associated with
through death (Lacocque, 1980). But dying is listening to the Outer Voice. Indeed, to be
not only a curse, it also has its blessing. It is concerned and feel responsible for others' wel­
because we die that we realize the urgency of fare requires such an enormous amount of
considering life with utmost seriousness. It is energy and compassion that seldom do we
in the awareness of death, of "my" death find anyone willing to make this existential
(Yalom, 1980) that the most genuine leap. To do so, individuals must overcome the
incentives for detecting meaning begin. Were narcissistic preoccupations which bind them
we immortal, all decisions could be post­ to solipsism. In other words, the Jonah
poned ad infinitum, giving humankind every complex is applicable to everyone; it is
excuse to disregard social responsibilities universal.

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Conclusion Schweitzer, John and Betty Stam, the Auca

One of the fundamental differences be­ Five, and countless numbers of others clearly
tween Maslow's concept and the Jonah demonstrate that being-for-the-world is no
complex revisited lies in the context against abstract concept.
which evasion from growth is interpreted. It
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