On the internal front, we have the unconscious, which encompasses both a
personal (biographical) and a collective (archetypal) aspect. For example, we
are born into certain families and that family dynamic has a profound impact, not only on how we see ourselves, but also on how we see the world. That lens is part of your personal unconscious.
The universal conditions at the collective level are the archetypes, which form the basic structure of the uniquely human psyche. Archetypes are generalized patterns of human perception and behavior.
Personality Development and
Collective Consciousness
When Jung uses the term collective
consciousness he means the general thoughts, ideas, behavior, and feelings shared by a people, a culture, or humankind in general. This includes the generally accepted truths according to religion, science, or society. We also call this conventionality.
You can identify conventionally-minded people within a few seconds. These
people are simply collective. They completely merge with the collective consciousness and unconsciously identify with the conventionally accepted opinions, thoughts, and beliefs of their external environment. For example, surely we all know people who watch the nightly news or read CNN or Fox, and then, repeat what they’ve heard or read in conversation with each other, with all of the authority and conviction of an original opinion.