Karen Horney

ThesynonymHorneygenerallyreferstoKarenHorney

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.Herfatherstronglyopposedherideaof​​becomingadoctor.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)Karen Horney

  • 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

  1. GeLujia,ChenRuoli,"CulturalDilemmaandInnerStruggle:Horney'sCulturalPsychopathology",HubeiEducationPress(Wuhan,HubeiProvinceCity),1999

  2. YangQian,"PsychoanalysisinDevelopment:FromJung,HorneytoLacan","JournalofLanzhouUniversity",2005Issue04

  3. LiuQizhen,"OnHorney'sInheritanceandCriticismofFreud","JournalofHubeiUniversity",Issue05,2002

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  4. WangGuomeng,"AReviewofHorney'sAnxietyTheory","JournalofLinglingTeachersCollege",200203

  5. WangXinjian,"Horney'sSocialandCulturalPerspectiveAnalysisofNeuroticPersonality","MedicineandPhilosophy",2000,Issue10

  6. GuoYongyu,"Hornie'sTheoryofSocialandCulturalNeurosisAnditshistoricalstatus","MedicineandPhilosophy",1996,Issue05

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