📅 Thought for today:
‘We have long observed that every neurosis has the result, and therefore probably the purpose, of forcing the patient out of real life, of alienating him (sic) from actuality.’
— Sigmund Freud
#thoughtfortoday #neurosis #SophieFreud #SigmundFreud #spchology #psychoanalysis #family
This morning I read the obituary of Sophie Freud, the granddaughter of Sigmund Freud and notable as an educator and Professor of Psychology.
In her book, “Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family” she said, “I was designated as a Freud, a distinction which carried its own problems.”
Sophie was sceptical about her father’s teachings and psychoanalysis in general. In fact, in her 97 years, Sophie did not have psychotherapy. She described many of his theories as outdated yet “brilliant as well as questionable.”
I don’t think it is possible to learn psychology or psychotherapy without studying Freud. We were encouraged to debate his theories and reflect on them in the light of later work (Jung for instance). There is a very good book called “What Freud Really Said”, written in part because much of his work has been summarised incorrectly.
It is a curious thought experiment to consider what the reaction would be today to some of his theories, and how different our lives would be if he had not existed.
Sigmund Freud’s ashes are in a Greek urn in Golders Green Crematorium in London.
Photo: Stephen C Dickson
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