My guess is that everyone reading exploring the mystery is familiar with the name Sigmund Freud. But unlike names you have heard and didn’t bother to form an opinion of, most of you already have a judgement regarding Freud. Before my decade in psychoanalysis (Freud’s creation), I judged him harshly.
When I began meeting with a therapist, it was lucky I didn’t realize until I was hooked that she modeled her work on Freudian theory. Right from the beginning of treatment, I delved deep into my interior landscape. Some times the dive was so painful that I wanted to follow my life-long pattern of quitting and quit. At other times I felt so grateful for what I was discovering that I couldn’t imagine not having this resource in my life. Regardless of whether I was suffering or full of gratitude, I decided that I should know more about who created this method.
So, I started studying Freud. I want to briefly introduce you to the Freud I have begun to know. After having read, underlined, highlighted, circled page numbers, put exclamation points by portions of multiple books, I am:
- Astounded by his brilliance!
How on earth did he know to trust that the unconscious was a storehouse?
- Exasperated by his certainty.
He insisted problems were always related to sexual feelings about parents.
- Feel empathy towards his pain .
He suffered jaw cancer without pain relievers so he could stay in reality and know how the mind works.
- Inspired by his genius.
He invented a new way of listening and, according to one of his disciples, had the most famous ears in history
- Conscious of his complexity.
The more he learned, the more he kept asking questions and even though one of his foundational principles was the neutrality of the analyst, when it came to patients he liked, he was unorthodox.
Did you learn anything new about Freud from my list? Do you believe in the unconscious? What would you say to the unconscious being a quality of thought, not a noun?
There are so many more questions I would like to ask you! But would you please tell me which of the five bullet points you are the most interested in? You can just write brilliance, certainty, empathy, genius, or complexity. Just scroll down to the comments section if you are reading this on the website. I’d love to know for future posts.
CLUE: Look at the clothes you have on. Name the colors. Would you feel differently if you had on another color? Do colors influence your mood? What’s your favorite color? Please let me know. I’m wearing charcoal gray tights, a white tee shirt, and a matching jacket, an outfit I I’ve had forever and wore today to see if I should put it in the Goodwill bag. I remember huddling in the basement of the Des Moines International Airport wearing this and worrying that I might freeze to death before I got on the plane to Brazil to see me youngest. It’s too comfortable to give away even though the color is a bit drab. I’d be better able to handle the incessant wind today if I had on a brighter color. Do you chose clothes for their color?
IMAGE: I was so pleased to be gifted by this picture of Freud which is hung right above my keyboard. It provides inspiration. Thanks Anna.
12 comments
Nicky! I loved all the bullet-points! I learned so much about the man just from your appreciations. Thank you for that!! And wonderful portrait–I can see why you find it–and him–inspiring!
Thanks Diane! Glad you found the post useful. I bet the next time you hear Freud’s name, you will think of him differently & remember me!
Thanks for reading!!
I’d say empathy since I have my own pain issues and sometimes don’t handle it well.
Hi Jeanne!
Isn’t it difficult to have empathy for our own pain? Sorry you are getting to
work with this issue – sending healing wishes.
Thanks so much for reading and responding!
Susan Davenport
10:13 AM (10 minutes ago)
to me
Empathy. Freud does sound like an interesting man. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Susan. Knowing your situation, I’m not surprised at your choice.
Sending empathetic thoughts to you.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
This was interesting. The jaw cancer was new to me.
And yes, of course I think about the colors I wear! My unrequested advice: if you suspect you should toss an outfit in the Goodwill bag, you probably should. Your unconscious is speaking.
All best,
Joy
Joy – you color consultant you – I am glad that you responded. Thanks for the kind words – saying it was interesting is just what I yearn to hear!
I love your advice that my unconscious is speaking! I may wear this outfit one more time and then it will go in the bag!
Glad you like the print! I thought it had nice, complementary colors. For clothing, I like darker colors – wine, plum, navy, etc. (less prone to showing stains), although they aren’t the best for night-time walking! RE: Freud — I didn’t know he suffered from cancer, although his approach to the disease was certainly in-line with his beliefs.
Hi Anna!
I love the print – the expression on Freud’s face is amazing – says so much and looks different depending on my mood.
You are right about dark colors not showing stains – I’ve ruined white shirts trying to remove stains!
And Freud having cancer and sticking with his beliefs is one thing that he was very orthodox about. Thanks for picking that up’
Thanks for reading and responding! Fun to hear from you!
Genius…….. A new way of listening?
What would you say to the unconscious being a quality of thought, not a noun? Interesting concept that I’ve never heard before.
I choose most of my clothing because of it’s color. However, I have chosen some clothing with colors I don’t normally wear because of their uniqueness.
Nina! So good to hear from you. I’m glad you picked genius – a new way of listening! I want to write about that more.
I’d not heard of the unconscious being a quality of thought before either and agree it is interesting.
You wear such great colors! I often feel drab beside you – and your hats are amazing!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
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