Karen Signell > Quotes

“Like us, the bear stands upright...sits on his tail end...worries with moans and sighs... We cannot shake off the impression that behind the long muzzle and beneath the furry coat so unlike our naked skin there is a self not so different from us... Wily, smart, strong, fast, agile, independent in ways that we humans have left behind when we took up residence in the city. - Paul Shepard and Barry Sanders”
― Karen Signell, Smokey Bear: The Cub Who Left His Pawprints on History

“When a dream brings up your shadow, or a friend points out a fault, the natural impulse is to deny it and defend yourself, "I'm not that bad," or to shrug your shoulders, "That's just the way I am," or else take a breath and try to be better than you really are. These are mistakes. The shadow needs to be acknowledged and given its place. You must invite it to the dinner table, this dubious guest, civilize it as best you can, and see what it has to offer. You cannot leave it outside the door raising a rumpus or sneaking around and causing worry.”
― Karen Signell, Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature

“In daily life, you may catch only a fleeting notion of your own shadow's existence in your avoidance of certain topics or your vague feelings of guilt, self-doubt, discontent, or discord. You may suddenly notice vague worries and feelings in a flush of embarrassment, in an awkward moment of nervous laughter, in a burst of tears, in a flare of anger.”
― Karen Signell, Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature