He: Understanding Masculine Psychology

This was some seriously high-quality writing. Never boring, always crystal clear, full of unique insights I’ll never forget.

Let's be real, navigating the inner world of masculinity can sometimes feel like trying to find your way through a dense fog with a compass that only points to "more questions." As someone who has often pondered the "why" behind certain behaviors or feelings (both my own and others'), I've read my share of books that either oversimplify things or disappear into academic jargon. Robert A. Johnson's He is different. It's a slim volume, almost deceptively so, but it packs a powerful punch of insight. Using the myth of Parsifal and the Fisher King, Johnson provides a surprisingly clear and relatable framework for understanding the journey of masculine psychological development. It's not about stereotypes or generalizations; it's about archetypes and the universal patterns that play out in the male psyche. Reading it felt less like studying psychology and more like finally getting a map to a territory I'd only glimpsed before. It illuminated aspects of myself and the men in my life in a way that was both profound and practical. This book is a gem – concise, beautifully written, and deeply insightful. It's a must-read for men seeking to understand themselves better, and equally valuable for anyone who wants a clearer perspective on the masculine experience. Prepare for some "aha!" moments and a much better compass for that mysterious inner landscape.

Myths and legends form powerful expressions of our humanity. It would seem that the most enduring of them are likely so powerful because they tap into some elemental truth of our humanness. If so, a deep reading of the story should illuminate ourselves. This is what Robert Johnson achieves in He: Understanding Masculine Psychology, a deconstruction and interpretation of the Grail story. Johnson, a psychologist with Jungian training interprets the tale of Parsifal's departure from his mother, arrival at Arthur's court, and search for the Grail. The Arthurian legends comprise a body of stories with multiple variations. The tales focus variously upon Arthur, the naïve knight, Parsifal (Percival), other knights, mentors, the ailing Fisher King, Queen Guenevere, other damsels and loathsome ladies. Johnson uses the French version, penned as an epic poem by Chrétien de Troyes, in the 12th century because it is the oldest. Being the oldest version, it is simpler, more direct, and closer to the subconscious. As we follow Parsival through his adventures Johnson interprets them as life transitions for men. In the process we discover antecedents to Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars trilogy, and Harry Potter. At the end we understand that chasing happiness is ephemeral and true meaning and wholeness can only be attained through service to others. To get us there, I have a worry about the fidelity of Johnson's retelling of the story, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time. My leadership story here: Turn the Ship Around!: How to Create Leadership at Every Level

Insightful and elegant, Johnson’s "He" gave me a fresh lens on masculinity and, unexpectedly, on life as a whole. His clear retelling of the Parsifal/Grail myth turns complex Jungian ideas into practical insight about innocence, wounding, responsibility, and growth. I left with sharper self-awareness, a healthier respect for inner balance, and language to name what I’ve long felt but couldn’t articulate. Short book, long afterglow.

One of my top favorite books. It's not only an amazing psychological perspective on the masculine, but it also happens to explain Parsifal in Jungian terms (symbols) beautifully. I found the Parsifal explanations so helpful I quoted them in my book. I can't say enough about it. I would probably buy every male friend & their wives/SO's a copy of this for Christmas, lol. Just read it. It's really needed in today's culture too. I like that it's not political but psychological.

A road map by Robert Johnson that leads to our meaning in life and the truth that in emptying ourselves (kenosis) an egocentric exchange of our center to serve the Grail King leads us to the fulfillment and joy that is the summit of the created force’s intention of our Creator Grail King!

If you are a student of psychology and interested in the dynamics of the male-self and personality; this is an interesting read. I have read many interpretations of Parsifal and this one is as good as the rest. However, there is something that keeps gnawing inside me saying " these authors are pulling these the theories out their arses" This was originally an opera by Wagner. A Christian whose focus was on musical imagery and I don't believe he set forth writing this opera with a burning desire to explore the masculine and feminine nature of men. Perhaps it was unconscious on Wagner's part and this was a boon to all those with imagination, Oedipus issues and hankering for psychology.

I found this book to be very interesting. It goes into great detail about the symbolism of the story of the Grail, and Johnson shows you how you can use mythology to relate to your own inner experience. That being said, I thought that there were not enough example of how certain things play out in everyday life. I was hoping that he would say how a man shows his mother complex, or how the father archetype shows itself in man's development. (Ironically, there is no mention of the father archetype at all!) The analysis basically boils down to a man needing to understand his feminine side, which I have frankly heard enough of in my psychoanalytic studies. I do believe it is important, and I would dread life without being in touch with the feminine, but why can't Jungian psychology move on? Why is there so little talk about the father? Why is it that every book I pick up tells me that I need to be in touch with my anima? I get the picture. In addition, Johnson mentions that the masculine search within ends with a higher understanding of the self, but he ends rather abruptly. I wish that there was more about the mysteries of the self, and how the masculine enhances the self, but there is no such discussion. If you think about this book enough, you will see that it is lacking very much, and it is better as a primer about the story of the Grail than it is about masculinity and the struggles of men today. It still has strong interpretive value, and it teaches us things to look for in mythology. So I would still recomend it for anyone.

A highly recommended book. Easy to read and follow

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Profoundly insightful, meaningful book of the masculine psyche and that part of us which lives equally within the feminine.

Es on tema muy interesante y muy bien explicado, elautores genial en so ramo. el libro es farci / de leer muy amena y agradable lectura. Muchas gracias.

A very wise book, written using the Grail myths as mythology and symbolism for masculine psychology and its development using a post-Jungian analysis. What looks like clunking gender stereotypical work is in fact a subtle and nuanced description of great importance that is highly relevant to our age, despite using medieval myth as the basis to explain it. As the author states medieval myths reflect and make our society and its values, especially of 'He' Hence, this book can be read on a number of levels. There is a review saying 'a terrible book' that is the level of someone who hasn't yet been able to get the level of wisdom to go beyond the (apparently) strange symbology (Parsifal, the Grail etc) and hear anything about what it is really saying about what men are and what drives them (or better what He is). At another level it could be considered 'awful' (another review) but it is important to understand that He is also a concept that woman is required to take on (and does everywhere in our society) so while the title is He it does not mean 'men' it means the male archetype, rather than the feminine (She) Such is the prevalence of Patriarchy in our society that we can't even notice these differences any more or if we do we deny them, get angry or say that we are all equal, amongst other things. Excellent...highly recommended.