Karen Horney: Psychoanalytic/Feminine Psychology PDF

KAREN HORNEY: PSYCHOANALYTIC By 1917, she had her first paper on /FEMININE PSYCHOLOGY psychoanalysis: The Technique of Psychoanalytic Therapy If you want to be proud of yourself, then Early years of marriage > de...

KAREN HORNEY: PSYCHOANALYTIC By 1917, she had her first paper on /FEMININE PSYCHOLOGY psychoanalysis: The Technique of Psychoanalytic Therapy If you want to be proud of yourself, then Early years of marriage > death of parents do things in which you can take pride. who were already separated, gave birth to 3 daughters in 5 years, Received her MD － Karen Horney degree. In her quest for the right man, she had Overview several love affairs. Psychoanalytical Social Theory was In 1926, Karen and Oskar separated but built on the assumption that social and did not officially divorce until 1938. cultural conditions, especially Early years following her separation were childhood experiences, are largely the most productive of Horney's life. responsible for shaping personality. She believed that culture, not Anatomy, People who do not have their needs was responsible for the psychic difference for love and affection satisfied during between man and women. Agreed with Freud that early childhood childhood develop basic hostility traumas are important but insisted that toward their parents and as a social rather than biological forces are consequence suffer from basic anxiety. paramount in personality development. Horney theorized that people combat In 1932, Horney left Germany and basic anxiety by adopting one of three immigrated in Chicago. fundamental styles of relating to others. During these years, she renewed Compulsive behaviors of neurotics acquaintances with Erich Fromm and his generate intrapsychic conflicts. wife. Horney's views on personality are a In 1950, Horney published her most reflection of her life experiences. important work, Neurosis and Human Growth. Horney died of cancer in December 4, 1952. Biography Karen Danielsen Horney was born in Eilbek, Germany on September 15, 1885. Only daughter of Berndt and Clothilda Horney and Freud Compared van Ronzelen Danielsen. Horney criticized Freud's theory on The Danielsen family was an unhappy several accounts. one, in part because Karen's older half First, she cautioned that strict siblings turned their father against his adherence to orthodox psychoanalysis second wife. would lead to stagnation in both Karen felt great hostility towards her theoretical thought and therapeutic stern devoutly religious father. practice. Karen Horney idolized her mother. Second, Horney objected to Freud's She was not a happy child. In 1906, she entered the University of idea on Feminine Psychology. Freiburg, becoming one of the first women Third, she stressed the view that in Germany to study medicine. psychoanalysis should move beyond There, she met Oskar Horney instinct theory and emphasize the importance of cultural influences. Basic Anxiety and Basic Hostility “Man is ruled not by the pleasure Basic Hostility – the parents do not principle alone but by two guiding satisfy the child’s needs for safety and principles: safety and satisfaction.” satisfaction – however, children seldom Safety and satisfaction are the two overtly express this basic needs during childhood. Basic Anxiety – “a feeling of being The child starts life with feelings of isolated and helpless in a world helplessness and is completely conceived as potentially hostile.” – “a dependent on parents. feeling of being small, insignificant, helpless, deserted, endangered, in a world that is out to abuse, cheat, attack, humiliate, betray, envy”. What Are The Conditions That Lead To Normal Or Neurotic Defenses Against Basic Anxiety Development? Horney originally identified 4 general ways that people protect themselves The Impact of Culture against feeling of being alone in a Horney believed that modern culture is potentially hostile world. based on competition. 1. Affection Competitiveness and the basic 2. Submisiveness hostility it spawns results in feelings 3. Striving for Power, Prestige, or of isolation. These feelings of being Possession alone in a potentially hostile world lead 4. Withdrawal to intensified needs for affection, Which, in turn, cause people to overvalue love. As a result, many people see love and affection as the Compulsive Drives solution for all their problems. Neurotic Needs 1. Neurotic need for affection and The Importance of Childhood approval. Experiences 2. Neurotic need for a powerful partner. Horney hypothesized that a difficult 3. Neurotic need to restrict one’s life childhood is primarily responsible for within narrow borders. neurotic needs. The totality of early relationships 4. Neurotic need for power. molds personality development. 5. Neurotic need to exploit others. Childhood experiences are primarily 6. Neurotic need for social recognition responsible for personality or prestige. development. 7. Neurotic need for personal admiration. 8. Neurotic need for ambition and personal achievement. 9. Neurotic need for self-sufficiency and 4.The neurotic need for power. independence. 10. Neurotic need for perfection and Normal: It's ok that we have the power unassailability. to improve. Examples: Neurotic: Is when we think that power 1. The neurotic need for affection and is for control over others, for a facade of approval. omnipotence. Normal: It is ok that we need affection the neurotic may be desperate for it. but we don't expect it from everyone we meet. This is dominance for its own sake, often accompanied by a contempt for Neurotic: it is when we have the weak and a strong belief in one's indiscriminate need to please others own rational powers. and be liked by them. 5. The neurotic need to exploit others 2. The neurotic need for a partner. and get the better of them. Normal: We all want to have a partner Normal: it's ok that we need to have an that we can love and can love us back. effect, to have impact, to be heard. Neurotic: Partner is someone who will Neurotic: it can become manipulation take over one's life. This includes the and the belief that people are there to idea that love will solve all of one's be used. It may also involve a fear of problems. being used, of looking stupid. You may have noticed that the people who love 3.The neurotic need to restrict one's life practical jokes more often than not to narrow borders. cannot take being the butt of such a joke themselves! Normal: It is ok that we want our lives to be simple to manage. 6.The neurotic need for social recognition or prestige. Neurotic: it is when someone wants to be undemanding, satisfied with little, Normal: We are social creatures, and demands to be inconspicuous. sexual ones, and like to be appreciated. Who hasn't felt the need to simplify life Neurotic: These people are when it gets too stressful. They rather overwhelmingly concerned with join a monastic order, disappear into appearances and popularity. They fear routine, or return to the womb? being ignored, be thought plain, "uncool," or "out of it.” 7. The neurotic need for personal 10. The neurotic need for perfection admiration. and unassailability. Normal: We need to be admired for Normal: To become better and better at inner qualities as well as outer ones. We life and our special interests. need to feel important and valued. Neurotic: Some people are driven to be Neurotic: Some people are more perfect and scared of being flawed. They desperate, and need to remind everyone can't be caught making a mistake and of their importance. Their fear is of need to be in control at all times. being thought of as nobodies, unimportant and meaningless. Coping Strategies - Neurotic needs are 8. The neurotic need for personal classified into three coping strategies. achievement. 1. Compliance Neurotic needs 1, 2, and 3. Normal: There is nothing intrinsically Moving toward strategy and wrong with achievement far from it! self-effacing solutions. This person will say that “I should be Neurotic: Some people are obsessed sweet, sacrificing, and saintly” with personal achievement. They have 2. Aggression to be number one at everything they do. Neurotic needs 4-8. Since this is, of course, quite a difficult Moving against and expansive task, you will find these people solution. devaluing anything they cannot be This person will say “I should be number one in! If they are good powerful, recognized, and a winner” runners, then the discus and the 3. Withdrawal hammer are "side shows." If academic Neurotic needs 9, 10. abilities are their strength, physical Moving away and resigning solution. abilities are of no importance, and so This person will say ”I should be on. independent, aloof and perfect” 9.The neurotic need for self-sufficiency Neurotic Trends and independence. As her theory evolved, Horney began to see that the 10 neurotic needs can be Normal: We should all cultivate some grouped into three: autonomy. Moving Towards People -> Compliant, Moving Neurotic: Some people feel that they Against People -> Aggressive, Moving shouldn't ever need anybody. They tend Away From to refuse help and are often reluctant to People -> Detached. commit to a relationship.  3. Neurotic Pride – A false pride based Intrapsychic Conflicts | 2 Important not on a realistic view of the true self Intrapsychic Conflics: but on an image of the idealized self. – Usually loudly proclaimed in order to Idealized Self-Image protect and support a glorified view of An extravagantly positive view of one’s self. themselves that exists only in their personal belief system. Painting Self-Hatred a godlike picture of oneself. As people build an idealized image of the self, their real self lags farther and 3 Aspects Of The Idealized Image: farther behind. This gap creates a 1. Neurotic Search For Glory growing alienation between the real self Elements: (need for perfection, and the idealized self which then leads neurotic ambition, drive toward a to hatred and despise of their actual vindictive triumph) self. ✓ Need For Perfection – Drive to mold the whole personality into the idealized self. – They try to achieve perfection by erecting a complex set of “shoulds” and “should nots” -> tyranny of the shoulds. ✓ Neurotic Ambition – Compulsive drive towards superiority. – Neurotics ordinarily channel their energies into activities that are most likely to bring success. ✓ Drive Toward Vindictive Triumph Six Ways of Expressing Self-Hatred – The most destructive element of all. 1. Relentless demands on the self. – “Its chief aim is to put others to 2. Merciless self-accusation – berating shame or defeat them through one’s oneself very success.” 3. Self-Contempt – belittling, doubting, and 2. Neurotic Claims: Neurotics proclaim ridiculing self. that they are special and therefore 4. Self-Frustration – depriving oneself. entitled to be treated in accordance 5. Self- Torment/Torture – main with their idealized view of themselves. intention is to harm themselves. Cue to remember: Demands. 6. Self-destructive actions and impulses. Feminine Psychology Psychic differences between men and women are not the result of anatomy. There is no more anatomical reason why girls should be envious of the penis than boys should desire a breast or a womb. In fact, boys sometimes do express desire to have a baby - a womb envy. Horney agreed with Adler that many women possess a masculine protest. Psychotherapy The general goal of Horneyian therapy is to help patients gradually grow in the direction of self-realization. More specifically, the aim is to have patients give up their idealized self-image, relinquish their neurotic search for glory, and change self hatred to an acceptance of the real self. Techniques: dream interpretation and free association. Concept of Humanity Slightly higher on free choice than determinism. More optimistic than pessimistic. Middle position on causality and teleology. Middle stance on conscious and unconscious. Strongly emphasized social influences. Highlights similarities more than differences.