The Invisible Game: Jordan's Negative Space and Jung's Shadow

Psychology Today | 02.04.2026 21:56
What do basketball legend Michael Jordan and psychiatrist Carl Jung have in common? More than you might think. Both focused on seeing things that others often don’t see. Jordan saw "negative space," which is the empty area between the other players on the court. Jung's idea of the Shadow describes the hidden parts of ourselves that we don't generally see. Both concepts teach us that the things we're not looking at, such as the gaps, the blind spots, and the overlooked spaces, hold the key to extraordinary performances and deeper self-understanding.