psyche

Definitions

psyche is the Greek root psȳkhḗ taken whole into English. Its journey was breath → life → soul → mind: the Greeks saw breath as proof of life, so the word for breath became the word for the living, thinking soul. It also names Psyche, the mortal princess of myth who became immortal, which is why the word feels grand and total — the whole inner self, not just one mental faculty.

Why It Means This

Psyche is stronger and more poetic than 'mind.' 'Mind' points at thinking and reasoning; psyche points at the whole hidden self — fears, desires, identity. That mythological depth is why we talk about the human psyche, the collective psyche, or a wounded psyche, treating it as something almost sacred and easily damaged.

Common Collocations

• 1.human psyche人类心灵
• 2.collective psyche集体心理
• 3.wounded psyche受伤的心灵
• 4.national psyche民族心理

Example Sentences

• 1.

  War leaves scars not just on the body but on the national psyche.

• 2.

  The novel digs deep into the psyche of a lonely teenager.

• 3.

  Fear of failure is buried somewhere in the human psyche.

Synonym Comparison