BTS is getting ready to release their upcoming mini album, Map of the Soul: Persona, on April 12. The album is inspired by the ideas of psychologist Carl Jung, and fans are already drafting their own theories based on the concept photos. I noticed some people talking about the shadow side of someone’s personality as being “bad”. But that’s not necessarily true.
What Is Carl Jung’s Theory About?
Carl Jung believed that a person’s personality is made up of different parts that interact to form a unified whole. He theorized that everyone has five major archetypes that comprise our psyche:
Persona: The “mask” we wear to fit in or be liked. It’s how we want people to see us.
Ego: This is how we see ourselves. When you say, “I”, that is the ego you’re describing.
Self: The full, true version of who we are.
Shadow: The parts of ourselves we hide or don’t accept. Sometimes because they make us uncomfortable or don’t fit how we want to be seen.
Anima-Animus: The feminine side of a man and the masculine side of a woman.
The Shadow Self Isn’t Always Dark
In Jungian psychology, the shadow isn’t inherently evil or good. It’s the unconscious aspects of our personality that are denied or repressed. These traits are both positive and negative. They’re rejected by our ego for reasons that range from being socially unacceptable to outright embarrassing. For example:
- Some people may feel the need to hide that they’re LGBTQ+ because of their environment; not because there’s anything wrong with who they are.
- A lot of K-pop fans hide their interest in the genre out of fear of being bullied.
- Someone might act like they’re great with money, even if they tend to spend a lot of it.
In each case, the person is creating a persona and hiding their shadow. It’s not because they’re evil, but because they want to be accepted.
BTS and the Personas They’re Given
Because they’re idols, there are many things about their personal lives that BTS have to keep to themselves. Dating is frowned upon by fans and certain personality traits are either exaggerated or hidden to make them more appealing.
And then there are times when the members are given a persona by their fandom. Let’s look at how this shows up in how the members of BTS are viewed by their fans:
- Jung Kook is often called a “bunny” or seen as a cute kid. But he’s said multiple times he doesn’t like being called that. He wants to be seen as a man, not a child or some cartoon character.
- V (Taehyung) receives a lot of praise for his looks more than his singing or other talents. People expect him to act playful or “weird”, even if he doesn’t feel like it.
- Jimin has a lot of lesbian fans, but some of them try to justify their admiration by saying he has “lesbian traits.” Instead of admitting to themselves that they like him for himself, they tend to feminize him to cope with their attraction.
In each case, the members are being given a persona by others, and it’s not always accurate or welcome.
The Bigger Picture
Map of the Soul: Persona could encourage us to explore all the different parts that make up our personalities. This means coming face-to-face with our shadow, but we should remember that the shadow isn’t always negative. Sometimes it’s just the part of us we feel pressured to hide. Understanding that makes us more honest with ourselves and with others.
📌 Changelog
- June 7, 2025: Rewrote the article to include additional information. Changed image.
- March 12, 2019: Date article was originally published.
