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Quillette

Quillette

Freud’s most powerful and compelling theory remains obscure

Quillette
Summary
Nutrition label

56% Informative

Few thinkers have had a global impact comparable to Sigmund Freud’s .

His theories continue to influence mental health care, as well as the arts, literature, philosophy, and nearly every subject in the humanities and social sciences.

But many of his insights have been thrown out with everything else.

Freud 's model implies that there’s a harmonious way to process psychic energy.

If people experience a tragic loss, they’ll experience grief, which they have to let themselves experience for a time and then let go of.

Minor frustrations should dissipate relatively quickly, while deep conflicts in more meaningful relationships require more time and attention.

Carl Jung conceived of psychic energy in a broader, more general way.

This framing avoids a fixation on desire and frustration, and it could serve as a more positive and helpful framework for therapists.

But there are problems with both Freud ’s and Jung 's models.

To really reflect what we experience, we need models that have an emotional resonance.

VR Score

59

Informative language

59

Neutral language

36

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

48

Offensive language

possibly offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

long-living

External references

no external sources

Source diversity

no sources

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