According to Jung, symbols, characters, and myths shared across cultures arise because they reflect universal archetypes that exist in our minds. These archetypes can help us make sense of the world and give meaning to events that occur around us. For example, the story of the flood is based on the archetype of the flood, which represents the idea that life must end before things begin again. Rituals relating to rites of passage also reflect the same archetype.
Many familiar characters, like the Wise Old Man, Goddess, Mother, Child, Hero, or Trickster can be recognized as archetypes. They help us to understand our own personalities: the persona represents our public image, whereas the true self and shadow represent our innermost thoughts and feelings. The anima/anima represents the complementary ‘other-half’ of our gender identity and helps us to understand the nature of the opposite sexes.