Scan barcode
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
An Exercise in Intellectual Courage
Sigmund Freud is called ‘Father of Psychology’; this book along with ‘Interpretation of Dreams’ and his work on psycho-analysis forms the very foundations of psychology. The two books though require a certain degree of intellectual courage in reading.
An act of brutal honesty
The reason why this book suffers such bad reputation is because it says things people in their narrow mindedness find difficult to accept. Like Darwin, Galileo, Aryabhata, Chanakya, Machivialle, Salman Rushdi; Freud is a die-hard realist and is brutally honest; with no fears about the impact his revelations will have on ethical systems or society’s long held beliefs. And given the costs society has to pay for holding on to beliefs; it is small price to pay – though it needs to be paid in lump sum.
Not First One
Freud though is not the first one to come up with all those ideas. The book is full of references to other authors’ work. His genius lies in putting all those fragments into a single theory (running over the three essays) and thus providing a comprehensive framework for future studies on the subject.
Not a Book of Truth
This is just a theory and an out-dated one at that. Freud first wrote this book in 1905, and twenty different editions of the book were published during his life time making major changes (which also goes on to show Freud’s open mindedness) Many discoveries on the subject have been made ever since his death, which invalidate many of Freud’s postulates; however many other controversial points have held the test of time.
Moreover, Freud himself complains of lack of data. Sex was a taboo in his time; people, especially women, were too reluctant to talk openly and at times dishonest on the subject. And whatever data Freud had come from his patients; not exactly a normal sample space.
I shall add to this my personal beliefs that Freud, at times seems to suffer from overcorrection and self-projection fallacies.
Perhaps a fresh edition needs to be published which also encompasses the developments ever since his death in form of comments of different psychologists.
Yet, even in its present form it is a great read. It takes a great amount of intellectual courage merely to sit through the book and many times more to accept it as a possible truth.
Freud Vs Cultural Perceptions
This book can be dangerous to some of us. We find it hard to depart from long held beliefs, that is where intellectual courage comes in. The point in the question is that of parental love. Freud argues that parental love; which is long held as asexual and thus pure; is actually sexual in nature. However before we rush to judgment we must remember Freud uses the word ‘sex’ in its most liberal meaning and not the usually understood form. He sees nothing wrong in thinking so.
The underlying silent and stupid social assumption however, which even Freud fails to question, is that sexual love is somehow impure in nature; but then he didn’t have Gabriel Marquez to correct him on that count.
If this view of things gives you goose bumps than that is not fault of Freud but that of the culture you were bred in.
Educational Corruption
That ‘sexual = impure’ assumption is implanted in children via the education system which encourages ignorance (by not letting in a proper platform for education) on the subject and even shame for feeling any such instinct. Now Freud, to my great shock, approves of this education system but I believe he didn’t consider the point properly. Animals do not keep such secrets from their young ones, it must seem more natural not to. Freud’s point that children may find such knowledge hard to accept actually goes against his own argument. Children can accept things more easily than grownups ever do; the longer an individual holds on to that cultivated assumption, the harder it is for him/her to accept those very natural instincts later in life. A good student thus makes a bad human.
There are many other counts I could disagree on, but I’m no psychologist and see no point in listing them.
A Last Salute
While I close my review, I must here point give you one more reason to see the author with all more respect. While to date, we still find hard it hard to accept homosexuality, bisexuality, incest or cross-dressing; Freud was talking about them more than a century ago – yet as results of deviations from that long process of sexual growth but nowhere as culprits of society or with any sense of loathing - this, when same-sex marriages are still illegal in India.
Sigmund Freud is called ‘Father of Psychology’; this book along with ‘Interpretation of Dreams’ and his work on psycho-analysis forms the very foundations of psychology. The two books though require a certain degree of intellectual courage in reading.
An act of brutal honesty
The reason why this book suffers such bad reputation is because it says things people in their narrow mindedness find difficult to accept. Like Darwin, Galileo, Aryabhata, Chanakya, Machivialle, Salman Rushdi; Freud is a die-hard realist and is brutally honest; with no fears about the impact his revelations will have on ethical systems or society’s long held beliefs. And given the costs society has to pay for holding on to beliefs; it is small price to pay – though it needs to be paid in lump sum.
Not First One
Freud though is not the first one to come up with all those ideas. The book is full of references to other authors’ work. His genius lies in putting all those fragments into a single theory (running over the three essays) and thus providing a comprehensive framework for future studies on the subject.
Not a Book of Truth
This is just a theory and an out-dated one at that. Freud first wrote this book in 1905, and twenty different editions of the book were published during his life time making major changes (which also goes on to show Freud’s open mindedness) Many discoveries on the subject have been made ever since his death, which invalidate many of Freud’s postulates; however many other controversial points have held the test of time.
Moreover, Freud himself complains of lack of data. Sex was a taboo in his time; people, especially women, were too reluctant to talk openly and at times dishonest on the subject. And whatever data Freud had come from his patients; not exactly a normal sample space.
I shall add to this my personal beliefs that Freud, at times seems to suffer from overcorrection and self-projection fallacies.
Perhaps a fresh edition needs to be published which also encompasses the developments ever since his death in form of comments of different psychologists.
Yet, even in its present form it is a great read. It takes a great amount of intellectual courage merely to sit through the book and many times more to accept it as a possible truth.
Freud Vs Cultural Perceptions
This book can be dangerous to some of us. We find it hard to depart from long held beliefs, that is where intellectual courage comes in. The point in the question is that of parental love. Freud argues that parental love; which is long held as asexual and thus pure; is actually sexual in nature. However before we rush to judgment we must remember Freud uses the word ‘sex’ in its most liberal meaning and not the usually understood form. He sees nothing wrong in thinking so.
The underlying silent and stupid social assumption however, which even Freud fails to question, is that sexual love is somehow impure in nature; but then he didn’t have Gabriel Marquez to correct him on that count.
If this view of things gives you goose bumps than that is not fault of Freud but that of the culture you were bred in.
Educational Corruption
That ‘sexual = impure’ assumption is implanted in children via the education system which encourages ignorance (by not letting in a proper platform for education) on the subject and even shame for feeling any such instinct. Now Freud, to my great shock, approves of this education system but I believe he didn’t consider the point properly. Animals do not keep such secrets from their young ones, it must seem more natural not to. Freud’s point that children may find such knowledge hard to accept actually goes against his own argument. Children can accept things more easily than grownups ever do; the longer an individual holds on to that cultivated assumption, the harder it is for him/her to accept those very natural instincts later in life. A good student thus makes a bad human.
There are many other counts I could disagree on, but I’m no psychologist and see no point in listing them.
A Last Salute
While I close my review, I must here point give you one more reason to see the author with all more respect. While to date, we still find hard it hard to accept homosexuality, bisexuality, incest or cross-dressing; Freud was talking about them more than a century ago – yet as results of deviations from that long process of sexual growth but nowhere as culprits of society or with any sense of loathing - this, when same-sex marriages are still illegal in India.
jana_banana_'s review against another edition
2.0
girl look at what they are making read for school wtf??? but tbh comedic gold, def not writings of a cocaine addict ;)
adoriiiii's review against another edition
slow-paced
i had to read this for class pls dont kill me i just havent been able to read for leisure 😩
theelliad's review against another edition
2.5
Freud, giving sex ed: his opinions are moronic but his vibes are iconic
casparb's review against another edition
a classic and kind of a reread. Enjoy that the publisher is Basic Books here I am a Basic Book Bitch
cybercherry's review against another edition
2.0
Very entertaining if you pretend he's not being for real.
cg07's review against another edition
3.0
I mean, it's Freud.
This man thinks babies (actual BABIES) are capable of being obstinate.
This man thinks babies (actual BABIES) are capable of being obstinate.
yousrabushehri's review against another edition
3.0
Oookay.....
When I first started this book, I was totally and completely confused as to why my professor would assign us this book to read over Christmas break because the first essay was a little too intense to have anything to do with Children's Literature (which is what I'm doing my MA on). But reading the second and third essay, her choice made more sense, in the sense that it had something to do with children. But I'm still confused about where she'll be taking this next term since so far, we've done nothing about sexuality and child development.
But yeah, I'm looking forward to getting down and dirty with this text in class.
Now on to the next book on my assigned reading list.
When I first started this book, I was totally and completely confused as to why my professor would assign us this book to read over Christmas break because the first essay was a little too intense to have anything to do with Children's Literature (which is what I'm doing my MA on). But reading the second and third essay, her choice made more sense, in the sense that it had something to do with children. But I'm still confused about where she'll be taking this next term since so far, we've done nothing about sexuality and child development.
But yeah, I'm looking forward to getting down and dirty with this text in class.
Now on to the next book on my assigned reading list.
boginja_opste_prakse's review against another edition
4.0
preglupo se osjecam kad istrazivacke radove i eseje ocjenjujem zvijezdicama ali ajde...
ugl neka bude da sam red flag osoba ali frojd je bukv u pravu sa milion stvari, ne znam zasto je kroz pop kulturu i mimove on predstavljen kao kokainas koji jede govna nesto stalno, brate necete da prihvatite da je u pravu jer vas je strah sebe jer podsvjesno znate da je u pravu lmao
ugl neka bude da sam red flag osoba ali frojd je bukv u pravu sa milion stvari, ne znam zasto je kroz pop kulturu i mimove on predstavljen kao kokainas koji jede govna nesto stalno, brate necete da prihvatite da je u pravu jer vas je strah sebe jer podsvjesno znate da je u pravu lmao
vigneswara_prabhu's review against another edition
3.0
That was....something.
I'm sorry, I can't share more at this time, but this is one of those books, that requires rereading, and NOT listened by audio book. There are far too technical terms and notions here that I've been only able to grasp at best a third.
So I shall share a more comprehensive review after the Second reading.
I'm sorry, I can't share more at this time, but this is one of those books, that requires rereading, and NOT listened by audio book. There are far too technical terms and notions here that I've been only able to grasp at best a third.
So I shall share a more comprehensive review after the Second reading.