What if some of your problems aren't meant to be solved, but outgrown?

Sue Mehrtens builds on Carl Jung's commentary on The Secret of the Golden Flower, where he wrote that life's greatest problems can never be solved, only outgrown. In Jung's view, a problem like lost meaning, loneliness or a stuck pattern loses its grip when a wider interest grows in us, not when we finally crack it. That growth can't be forced by willpower, so Mehrtens describes a stance of letting things happen: noticing dreams and creative impulses, accepting a slow timetable, and staying grounded in ordinary work and roles.

Takeaways

Suggested applications, adapted from the essay:

1. Stop forcing the fix. For a problem you've circled for years, try watching it over time instead of attacking it again.
2. Feed something bigger. Put energy into a new interest or creative outlet; the old problem may shrink as your life widens.
3. Stay grounded meanwhile. Keep your daily work and routines steady while the slower inner change takes its time.