Biography
KarenHorneywasbornonSeptember16,1885inBlankenese,Germany.HisfatherisaNorwegian,thecaptainofanoceanliner,isareligious,authoritarianandtaciturnperson;hismotherisaDutchwithDutchandGermandescent,isaggressiveandeasy-going,andisthefather'ssecondwife.Herfatheris19yearsolderthanhermother.Hehasfourchildrenwithhisex-wife,allofwhomareadults;besides,shehasanolderbrother.
InHorney’smemory,hisfatherwasaterriblefigure.Helookeddownonher,thinkingthatshewasuglyinappearanceandstupidintalent.Similarly,shefeltthathermotherpreferredherelderbrotherandwasveryindifferenttoher,soherchildhoodlifewasratherunhappy.
Attheageof9,shechangedherattitudetowardslife.Shesaid:"IfIcan'tbebeautiful,Iwillmakemesmart."WhenHorneywas12yearsold,shewasdeeplyimpressedbythedoctorbecauseofhertreatment.Sincethen,shehasdevelopedadeterminationtobecomeadoctor.In1901,sheenteredhighschoolwiththesupportofhermother.Herfatherstronglyopposedherideaofbecomingadoctor.Horney'sparentsdivorcedin1904.
In1906,sheenteredtheUniversityofFreiburgtostudymedicine,andin1908shetransferredtotheUniversityofGöttingen.Duringcollege,shemetamarriedOskarHorney.Theygotmarriedin1909andgavebirthto3daughters,buttheywerenotinharmonyaftermarriage.In1909,duetodepressionandsexualproblems,hebegantoacceptthepsychoanalysisofFreud'sdirectdiscipleKarlAbraham.
In1910,herfatherdied;in1911,hermotherdied.
In1913,shereceivedadoctorateinmedicinefromtheUniversityofBerlin,receivedtraininginpsychoanalysisattheBerlinInstituteofPsychoanalysisfrom1914to1918,andpracticedprivatelyasapsychoanalystin1919.In1923,Oscargotmeningitis,andbusinessfellintoatrough.Horney'sbrotherdiedofpneumonia.AseriesofdissatisfactionmadeHorney'smoodlow,herdepressionreappeared,andeventhoughtsofsuicideoccurred.In1926,sheandOscardivorced.
From1920to1932,shetaughtattheBerlinInstituteofPsychoanalysisandalsofoundedaprivateclinic.Duringthistime,sheleftFreud’sorthodoxyduetoherdissatisfactionwithFreud’sviewsonfemalesexuality,andpublishedalargenumberofpapersinmagazines,mostlyonwomen’sissuesanddisagreementwithFlo.Ide'sopinionarticle.
In1932,HorneyacceptedtheinvitationofFranzAlexandertoserveasdeputydirectoroftheChicagoInstituteofPsychoanalysisforatwo-yearterm.
In1934,HorneyfellinlovewiththepsychologistFromm.ThetwomovedtoNewYork.HorneyteachesattheNewYorkInstituteofPsychoanalysis.Thetwobrokeupafewyearslater.Afteraprofoundself-analysis,Horneywrote"Self-Analysis"in1942.
AsherdisagreementwithFreud'stheorywidened,Horney'srelationshipwithothermembersoftheNewYorkInstituteofPsychoanalysisbecamestrained.In1941,theNewYorkInstituteofPsychoanalysisdeprivedherofherqualificationsasalecturer.Later,HorneyfoundedtheAmericanInstituteofPsychoanalysisandtookthepostofdirector.
OnDecember4,1952,Horneypassedaway.
MainWorks
Honey’smainworksare:
TheNeuroticPersonalityofOurTime(TheNeuroticPersonalityofOurTime,1937)
NewWaysinPsychoanalysis(1939)
Self-Analysis(Self-Analysis,1942)
OurInnerConflicts(1945)
AreYouConsideringPsychoanalysis?,1946)
NeurosisandHumanGrowth(NeurosisandHumanGrowth,1950)
FemininePsychology(FemininePsychology,1967)(publishedafterHorney’sdeath)
CharacterView
AlthoughHorneyiscalled"NewFreudism"Oneoftherepresentativefigures,butherpointofviewissignificantlydifferentfromFreud.
Honeyopposestheideathat“youngexperiencedeterminesalifetime”andiscriticaloftheexcessiveemphasisonearlyexperienceincontemporarypsychoanalysis.Shebelievesthattheexperienceitselfisimportant,butpsychoanalysisshouldbebasedontheindividual'scurrentmentalconditionandpayattentiontothesolutionofcurrentproblems.
Honey’sviewsareconsistentwithsocialpsychology.SheagreeswithFreud'sargumentthatunconsciousimpulsesdeterminehumanbehavior,butfirmlyopposesFreud'sunderstandingofunconsciousimpulsesasimpulsesofsexualinstincts,andthedevelopmentofprimitivesexualdesirestoexplaintheformationofpersonality.Shebelievesthathumanspiritualconflictsarecloselyrelatedtothesocialenvironment,andarefundamentallyderivedfrompsychologicalconflictsrelatedtobasicanxiety.Theabnormalpsychologyrelatedtosexisonlyoneofitsmanifestations,andnotallpsychologicalproblemsarerelatedtosex.
Honeyholdsapositiveandoptimisticattitudetowardshumannature.Shebelievesthateachofusisworkinghardtodevelopourownuniquepotential,butpersonalitywillbestronglyinfluencedbyculturalfactors,sowhenweWhentheinnerstrengthofpositivegrowthishinderedbyexternalsocialforces,pathologicalbehaviormayappear.
Neuroticcharacter
Neuroticcharacterisanabnormalcharacterthathasnoconfidenceinoneself,doubtsaboutothers,andisfullofanxietyandanxietyabouttheenvironment.Horneybelievesthattheformationofaneuroticpersonalityisduetolong-termpsychologicalstress.Undertheinfluenceofbasicanxiety,individualsdevelopsomeirrationalneuroticneedsforself-defense,whicharedividedintothefollowingthreecategoriesaccordingtotheirnature(thesethreetypesofdifferentpersonalitiesoftencoexistinneuroticpatients):
Compliantcharacter:Referstotheindividual’slackofindependence,astrongneedforthecareofothers,andapersonalitythatreliesonothers’emotionalsupport;onthesurfaceitiscloseness,butsubconsciouslyitiseliminatedbyobedienceAnxiety.
Aggressivecharacter:Referstoanindividual'shostileandaggressiveattitudetowardsothersinordertoestablishasenseofsuperiorityandcopewithlowself-esteemandanxiety.
Detachedcharacter(detachedcharacter):referstothepersonalityofanindividualwhoisnotclosetoothers;onthesurface,heisindependent,butsubconsciously,heissensitivetointerpersonalfeelings.Keepitsafe.
Self-knowledge
Forself-explanation,HorneydoesnotadoptFreud'sthree-levelpersonalitystructureviewoftheself,selfandsuperego,Butregardtheselfastheself-imageformedbytheindividualinlifeexperience,thatis,theunderstandingandperceptionofoneself.Shebelievesthattherearethreedifferentself-imagesduetodifferentpersonallifeexperiences:
Theactualself:referstothesynthesisofthephysicalandmentalcharacteristicsoftheindividualatacertaintimeandplace,thatis,theindividualTheactualfaceofit.
The"real"self:referstothepointwhereanindividualmaygrowanddevelop,thatis,thepotentialforpersonalitydevelopment.
Idealizedself:Referstotheself-imageofanindividualwhoisdetachedfromrealityandmadeupoutofnothing.
Honeypointedoutthatanidealizedselfisdifferentfromatrueideal.Manyneuroticpatientsfaceproblemsinawayofdenialandavoidanceduetointernalconflictsandanxiety,replacingtheirknowledgeoftherealselfwithanidealizedself(forexample,thinkingthattheyarebetterthanothers,orthattheyareperfect).Thisattitudemakespeopleunabletocorrectlyrecognizetheirownproblemsandhinderstheirgrowth.Atthesametime,whenapersoniscompletelyrestrictedbyhisidealselfandguidedbyhim,theyalwaysdominatetheirthoughtswith"whatshouldbe".Horneyuses"thetyrannyof‘should’"todescribetheirself-sabotage.Theyaregettingfartherandfartherawayfromthemselveswithtoomany"shoulds".Idealizedselfandrealisticselfoftenhaveconflictsthatcannotbeignored.Whenneuroticpatientstrulyrealizethattheyarefarfromtheiridealizedself,theywillfallintoadeeperinferioritycomplex.(Sometimes,peoplecanbesoberlyawareoftheseprocesses;sometimespeopleonlyfeelvaguely.)Whentreatingthesepeople,themostimportantthingistohelppatientsre-evaluateandrecognizethemselves,soastoabandonunrealisticviews.Andaneagerattitudetochangeyourselffromreality.
FemalePsychology
WhenHorneywasateacheroforthodoxtheoryattheBerlinInstituteofPsychoanalysis,shebegantorefuteFreud’senvyofpenisandfemaleabuse.Thetheoryofmadnessandfemaledevelopment,andtriedtoreplacetheprevailingmale-centeredviewoffemalepsychologywithafemalestandpoint.Althoughatfirstshetriedtorevisethepsychoanalytictheoryfromtheinside,intheendshechallengedmanyofthepreconditionsofthistheory,andthendevelopedherowntheory.
Honey’sthesisonfemalepsychologycompletelybreaksawayfromFreud’sbeliefthat"anatomyisdestiny",emphasizingthatculturalfactorsareanimportantcauseofwomen’sissuesandtheirgenderpositioning.Horneybelievesthatwomen'smentaldisordersarebasedonjealousyofthemalepenis,butnotthepenisitselfbutmaleprivilege.HorneytakesAlfredAdler’spointofviewandpointsoutthatwomenwanttobemenbecausetheywanttohavetraitsorprivilegesthatourcultureconsiderstobemen,suchasstrength,courage,independence,success,sexualfreedom,andchoiceofpartnersTheserightsaredeterminedbyculturalfactorsratherthanbiologicalfactors.Horneyalsopointedoutthatwhenmenfindthattheydonothavetheinstinctforpregnancyandchildbirth,theywillinsteadhavejealousyandlowself-esteem.Therefore,men’saggressivenessandsuccessaretocompensateforthislowself-esteem.AlthoughHorneydevotedmostofhercareertothewritingoffemalepsychology,sheabandonedthetopicin1935.Becauseshefeltthattheroleofcultureintheformationofwomen'spsychologymadeherunabletoconfirmwhichpsychologyisuniquetowomenandwhicharenot.
Shepointedout:Duetothecomplexityofthesocialenvironment,itiscurrentlyimpossibletotrulydistinguishthepsychologicaldifferencesbetweenwomenandmen;theprimarytaskofpsychologistsshouldnotbetoexplorethe"femalenature",buttopromotetheentirehumanraceTheperfectionofpersonality.Fromthenon,Horneybegantodevelopatheorythatshebelievedtobeneutralandequallyapplicabletobothsexes.
Publishingbooks
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CharacterEvaluation
OneofthemostbasicconceptscreatedbyHorneyis"basicanxiety".SheagreeswithFreud'sargumentthatunconsciousimpulsesdeterminehumanbehavior,butshefirmlyopposesunderstandingpeople'sunconsciousimpulsesasimpulsesofsexualinstinct.Shebelievesthatpeoplearenotgovernedbytheso-calledprincipleofhappiness,butgovernedbytheneedforsafety.
Intheprocessoffurtherdiscussinghowtosatisfytheimpulsetoseeksafetyandrelieveanxiety,sheputforwardthetheoryofpersonalityformation.Horneybelievesthatchildren'ssearchforsafetyandreliefofanxietyaremainlycarriedoutinthefamily,andwhetherchildrencansatisfytheirimpulsesdependsonthespecificattitudesofthefamilyandparentstochildren.Ifchildrendonotreceivewarmthandaffectionfromtheirfamiliesandparents,theymayhavevariousunrealisticworries.Suchworriesmaydevelopintoneurologicalanxietyiftheyarenotclearedintime;onthecontrary,ifthechildrengetfromtheirparentsinthefamilyWithwarmthandaffection,youwillfeelsafeandsatisfied,andwillnotproduceanxietyandleadtomentalillness.Inthemeantime,childrenmustalsorespondtotheinfluencefromtheirfamilies.Itisthroughrepeatedresponsestotheinfluenceofthefamilythatchildrenformtheirpersonality.Becausetheycomefromdifferentfamilies,childrenalsoformdifferentpersonalities.
HoneycriticizedthelimitationsofFreud’stheorymoresharplythanAdlerandJung.Sheemphasizedtheroleofculturalandsocialfactorsinpersonalityformation,andmoreclearlytreatedThekeytomentalillnessistochangethesocialenvironment,whichshowsthathertheoryhasmadenewprogresscomparedwithAdlerandJung'stheories.
ResearchLiterature
GeLujia,ChenRuoli,"CulturalDilemmaandInnerStruggle:Horney'sCulturalPsychopathology",HubeiEducationPress(Wuhan,HubeiProvinceCity),1999
YangQian,"PsychoanalysisinDevelopment:FromJung,HorneytoLacan","JournalofLanzhouUniversity",2005Issue04
LiuQizhen,"OnHorney'sInheritanceandCriticismofFreud","JournalofHubeiUniversity",Issue05,2002
li>WangGuomeng,"AReviewofHorney'sAnxietyTheory","JournalofLinglingTeachersCollege",200203
WangXinjian,"Horney'sSocialandCulturalPerspectiveAnalysisofNeuroticPersonality","MedicineandPhilosophy",2000,Issue10
GuoYongyu,"Hornie'sTheoryofSocialandCulturalNeurosisAnditshistoricalstatus","MedicineandPhilosophy",1996,Issue05