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Rated: E · Interactive · Psychology · #2339469

Here I will talk about characters from films, cartoons and TV series and their psychology.

This choice: Shikamaru Nara  •  Go Back...
Chapter #5

Shikamaru Nara, from apathy to awareness.

    by: Winnie the Pooh Author IconMail Icon
"What a drag..." is one of the most iconic phrases of Shikamaru Nara, the lazy, listless and apathetic ninja. But is he really just that?
Shikamaru is not only a strategic genius: his detached attitude hides a deep internal conflict.

Carl Gustav Jung spoke of the Shadow, that part of us that we tend to repress: instincts, fears, hidden sides that we do not want to see.
In everyday life, the Shadow can be the fear of failure, judgment or even success.

At the beginning of the manga, he declares that he wants to have a quiet life, marry a woman who is not too annoying and die without too many complications. His attitude reflects a refusal of responsibility and a sense of apathy, as if the outside world were too tiring to face.

Everything changes when his master, Asuma Sarutobi, is killed by the Akatsuki. Here the true heart of the character emerges behind his apparent indolence, Shikamaru feels deep and painful emotions. But instead of running away from them, he decides to face them.

Have you ever had that feeling of not being able to move forward at university or with a project? The apathy we feel is similar: it is not simple laziness, but a defense mechanism. Maybe we fear failure, the pressure of expectations, comparison with others.

The result? We remain still, immobilized by our own shadow, unable to take the next step. Ignoring it keeps us still, just like Shikamaru when he uses his technique: we think we are in control, but in reality we are prisoners of ourselves.

Shikamaru becomes truly strong only when he stops being held back by his shadow and uses it consciously. This happens when he faces the pain of loss and decides to act.

Even if sometimes we feel useless, we need to understand who we feel this way towards and what we would like to be useful for. What is this feeling of uselessness, this apathy, telling us?
Maybe it is a symptom that in turn is a door to a new path.

What do you think? Have you ever felt stuck in your life?
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