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A review by dirknbr
Neurosis and Human Growth: The Struggle Towards Self-Realization by Karen Horney
4.0
This is a well written book by this German-American psychoanalyst. Although English wasn’t her native, she has a good way of writing. The original edition was from 1950.
Horney develops her own triad of “neurotic personalities”: the expansive (aggressive-vindictive, arrogant), the self-effacing (saint) and the resigned. All neurotics are focused on their idealised self and use their pride and shoulds to maintain this false self. It seems to stem from some early injury, and they resort to this neurotic solution. They mis-spend their energy to fight a futile battle of self-idealisation.
I agree with the point that too much self focus, even if not narcissistic, is pathological.
In some parts of the book I recognised some of my own neurotic traits, but then I also thought that maybe no one is a pure type, or only the severe cases. I could see strands of two types in myself. Maybe we are all mixtures of the three types.
The resigned type is an interesting one, as it correlates with the teaching of mindful and detached religiosity.
Horney manifests the narcissistic type within neurosis, I previously thought narcissists as distinct from neurotics, closer to psychotics.
I was hoping for a bit of information on the actual growth part, however, she spends almost the whole book on pathology.
I am left with one conundrum from reading, is almost all human striving neurotic? If neurosis makes us perfectionist, does that not help us to succeed in a competitive society? Horney is more silent on the social drivers of neurosis.
Do we enforce neurotic types in society if we applaud individuals for their self-less or self-aggrandizing endeavours?
Horney develops her own triad of “neurotic personalities”: the expansive (aggressive-vindictive, arrogant), the self-effacing (saint) and the resigned. All neurotics are focused on their idealised self and use their pride and shoulds to maintain this false self. It seems to stem from some early injury, and they resort to this neurotic solution. They mis-spend their energy to fight a futile battle of self-idealisation.
I agree with the point that too much self focus, even if not narcissistic, is pathological.
In some parts of the book I recognised some of my own neurotic traits, but then I also thought that maybe no one is a pure type, or only the severe cases. I could see strands of two types in myself. Maybe we are all mixtures of the three types.
The resigned type is an interesting one, as it correlates with the teaching of mindful and detached religiosity.
Horney manifests the narcissistic type within neurosis, I previously thought narcissists as distinct from neurotics, closer to psychotics.
I was hoping for a bit of information on the actual growth part, however, she spends almost the whole book on pathology.
I am left with one conundrum from reading, is almost all human striving neurotic? If neurosis makes us perfectionist, does that not help us to succeed in a competitive society? Horney is more silent on the social drivers of neurosis.
Do we enforce neurotic types in society if we applaud individuals for their self-less or self-aggrandizing endeavours?