Psychoanalytic Personality

Psychoanalysis is a form of therapy developed by Freud in the early 1900's, involving intense examinations into one's childhood, thought to be the origins of most psychopathology which surfaced during adulthood. Ideas about the subconscious, which saw the human mind as being in continuous internal conflict with itself, and theories that all actions are symbolic, for there are no accidents, were also major themes of the psychoanalytic approach.

Freud provides what I believe to be another important theory in understanding personality from this perspective, stemming from his notion of para-praxes, or unintentional acts that are actually unconsciously intentional. Such is the case with the well known Freudian slip, where something is said which is really a distortion or paradox of what is really meant. Although much of Freud's work has been highly criticized by many of his detractors, there are certain aspects of his theories which I find quite important to the study of personality. I am sure than it is not only me who finds this to be the case, as many of Freud's ideas, such as the Freudian slip, is common knowledge 70 years later. As the founder of up to date psychoanalytic theory, I will not help but glimpse Freud's work as critical in comprehending personality. Freud's ideas of the unconscious, though disputed time and again, have played a key role in understanding personality, and are the cornerstone for all psychoanalytic theory. Works by those who chose to shatter away from Freud's firm, nearly non-conditional concepts, such as Jung, Adler and Horney comprise subtle references to Freud's theories, as well as neo-Freudians like Erikson. (Aziz, 27)

Perhaps the most famous of Freud's students-turned-detractor is Carl Jung, who found Freud's over-emphasis of sex and relegation of the ideas of a collective unconscious to a level of small importance, ...