Essentially, your shadow hides who you really are, and they hide this mainly from YOU! And the shadow works on the principles of shame - you're not really as nice as you think you are, for example, but too ashamed to really look into the truth of what that means.
It could hide itself via judgment - you blame other people for having qualities that you also have (or that you need to develop) - e.g. selfishness, selflessness...
Or it could hide itself via anger. Think: what insult REALLY angers you? (For me, it's being considered a misogynist - woman hater!)
Simply put, your shadow represents the parts of your personality that are in shadow; i.e. not revealed, or hidden!
And this is the genius of enemies (or kind, loving friends): they see the effects of the shadow, they realise what your issues truly are, and they point their finger at it to help you notice.
But as the inspirational quote by Eric Hoffer (see video below), your enemy often insults you to hide from their own shadow
--
I love this notion of shadow, but it's one I only came to discover when I was recommended a book to read "How to Befriend Your Shadow" by Joseph Monbourquette.
This book does a great job of revealing how your shadow can be embraced to help you understand (and be at peace with) yourself much better.
---
As for enemies... Well what greater enemy is there than the voice inside your head that keeps on saying "YOU CAN'T!"? And understanding your shadow will seriously help you understand this negative self-talk, help you change the record!
(My latest website, InspireGreatnessNow.com is all about changing the record, by the way. It's all about helping you access your own greatness - that really does exist believe me!)...
"You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you"
More Shadow Quotes...
"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." -- Abraham Lincoln
"Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small." -- Ruth Gendler
"What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?" -- Mikhail Bulgakov
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." -- William Shakespeare
"How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole." -- Carl Jung
"Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other." -- Carl Jung
What I Say about Eric Hoffer's Inspirational Shadow Quote...
Listen to my thoughts about this shadow/fear quotation in the video below...