Karen Horney Childhood Religious Crisis The Depressions Basic

Karen Horney Childhood Religious Crisis The Depressions

Basic Concepts: � 1. childhood is a period of anxiousness and helplessness and hidden anger toward all-powerful but indifferent adults � 2. strategies to cope with the anxiety and anger that alienate the person from the true self, so that the neurotic personality is one who cannot simply be, but must avoid, attack, or comply with others � 3. a desexualized Oedipus complex in which the key issues are power and love instead of sexuality and fear

Coping �Individuals differ in the way they view the world and in their perception of the best way to conduct their lives in relation to the people in it �The needs of childhood: safety and satisfaction – if unfulfilled, hostility emerges ◦ Human doormats ◦ Hostile ◦ Coldly aloof

Coping �Human doormats: compliant personalities, the most crucial aspect of existence is to please and pacify people

Coping �Hostile: aggressive personality and view the world as dangerous

Coping �Coldly aloof: withdrawn from genuine interaction with significant others, detached personality, see the world and people as troublesome and unjustly demanding ◦ best solution = avoidance

10 Neurotic Trends: � Believed the neurotic personality is governed by one or more trend – each trend is directed toward interpersonal, control, and coping: � 1. affection and approval � 2. partner � 3. restriction � 4. power for control � 5. exploitation � 6. social recognition/prestige � 7. personal admiration � 8. personal achievement � 9. self-sufficiency/independence � 10. perfection/unassailability

Basic Anxiety/Basic Hostility �“Children’s most potent early perception of themselves was the discovery of their helplessness. In the force of powerful and authoritative, manipulative, and decisive “giants” such as parents, they perceive themselves to be weak and small. Children thus soon learn that their needs, their safety, and their comfort are wholly dependent on these powerful people. Their very survival depends on evoking in them a favorable and responsive attitude toward themselves. ”

Parental Indifference �The basic evil

Basic Hostility �Repression for Survival and Security

Basic Anxiety: Lonely and Helpless in a Hostile World �Basic Anxiety ◦ Comply (compliance) ◦ Attack (aggression) ◦ Avoid (withdrawal)

Real, Actual Self, Ideal Self � 1. Despised real self � 2. Real self � 3. Actual self � 4. Ideal self

3 Consequences of the individual’s alienation form his/her self �Abandonment of self responsibility for his behavior �Actively moves away from real self: must strive for the ideal image, “the shoulds” �Actively moves against real self: experiences self hate, being oneself is terrifying and appaling

3 Modes of “joyless living” �Persistent resignation �Rebelliousness �Shallow living

“Defense mechanisms” �Externalization �Creation of blind spots �Compartmentalization �Rationalization �Excessive self control �Arbitrary rightness �Elusiveness

CLARE (p. 655)