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Psycological book review: Our inner conflicts: a constructive theory of neurosis.
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BOOK REVIEW: “OUR INNER CONFLICTS” By Antonio Dju INTRODUCTION I am reviewing a psychological book, entitled “our inner conflicts”, written by Karen Horney. The book is divided into two parts: the first part is about neurotic conflicts and an attempt at solving them; the second party is about the consequence of unresolved conflicts. Moreover, the central points of the first part are about the basic conflicts and the four attempts at solution: moving towards people, against people, and away from people, and externalization, which neurotics give in their bid to resolve their basic conflicts. And what makes the person to attempt such solutions is fear and necessity for the inner unity. Moreover, she founded a neo-Freudian school of psychoanalysis based on the conclusion that many kinds of neurosis are the result of emotional conflicts arising from childhood experiences and later disturbances in interpersonal relationships. The author sought in this work a better understanding of the neurotic character structure. From the title of the book we can infer something: “Inner- Conflict” means that the persons have two realities or attitudes incompatible with each other within him or herself (cognitive dissonance). My aim here is to review all what Horney has said about “inner conflicts”, and their proposed resolutions then, I will concisely give an evaluation on this work.

BRIEF BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR Karen Horney is a German-American psychiatrist. Born in Hamburg, 1885, and educated at the universities of Freiburg and Berlin, she was an instructor at the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Berlin from 1920 to 1932, when she immigrated to the United States. After serving as associate director of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis for two years, she taught at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute from 1934 to 1941. She became dean of the American Institute for Psychoanalysis (which she helped to found) in 1941 and she became a professor at the New York Medical College in 1942. And she died in 1952.

Chapter one In this chapter, Horney, begins by saying that conflicts are integral part of human life, whether healthy or neurotic, individual or communitarian (p. 23). She observes that based on human ability of making choice and decision, man is most times faced with incompatible but

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desirable possibilities that make for inner conflicts. These inner conflicts, according to Horney, prevent the neurotic from making choice or decision in the normal sense. Horney suggests that to resolve such conflicts, the neurotic must work on the neurotic trend involved, and by so doing, changes the relation with others and with oneself. She finally states that such characteristics account for poignancy of a neurotic trends, which do not only render the person hopeless but half a destructive force of which there is every good reason to be afraid. She stresses that unless we know these characteristics and be mindful of them we shall not understand the neurotic’s desperate attempt at solution (pp. 32-33).

Chapter two The author poses, in this chapter, that conflicts play an infinitely greater role in the neurosis, but hints that to detect such conflicts is a difficult task because they are essentially unconscious, and because the neurotic denies their existence. She believes that unresolved conflicts produce a number of states of anxiety, depression, indecision, inertia, detachment etc. she attempts an understanding of causative of the manifest disturbances, though she did not unravel their sources. At the end of this chapter, Horney contents that the conflict born of incompatible attitudes constitutes the core of neurosis, therefore deserves to be called basic. In addition, she adds the use of the term core was not figurative but was to emphasize the fact that neurosis emanates from it (conflicts) (p. 47). She stresses the underlying conflict, which, she says, may come or appear through resulting neurotic symptoms, like fatigue, stealing, and inconsistency. According to her, there are three levels of conflicts: symptoms, inconsistence, and surface ones. It is left to the person seeking inner unity to discover which one of them is his or her basic one.

Chapter three Throughout this chapter, Horney, discusses a neurotic trend which moves one towards people (the compliant type). Such a person manifests all the distinguishing characteristics that go with the tendency of “moving towards people”. According to Horney, the neurotic person of this type shows the need for affection and approval, and a special need for a partner, and a desire for belonging. The person needs to be wanted, liked, loved, to feel accepted, welcomed, approved of, appreciated, important to others; to be helped, protected, taken care of, and guided. To give a solution to their need, they become unselfish, self-sacrificing, undemanding, compliant, over-considerate, over-appreciative, over-grateful, and generous.

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According to Karen, this person has a certain three characteristic attitude towards themselves: first, they feel that they are weak and helpless; second, they have tendency to subordinate themselves; third, their general dependence upon the others. However, they repress things like anger, aggression, hostility because they think that these things are evils, and judge that others do the same. In addition, this repressed hostility may be the cause of psychosomatic disorders, like headache or stomach ailments. We can say that love is the goal of the person. For them life is useless and empty without love. Love is very important for them because it is the only way, in which all their neurotic needs can be fulfilled: to be liked and to dominate others. As a solution for love, the author suggests the finding of a partner, who possess both strength and kindness or whose neurosis fits in with the neurotic person if fortunate. Even as this, favourable possibility, Horney noted that it can only relieve actual distress; unless such conflicts are resolved, the person’s development remains stunted or blocked (p. 62).

CHAPTER FOUR In trying to discuss the second aspect of neurotic trend, which is moving against people, in this chapter, Horney believed that it is characterized by aggressiveness (aggressive type). However, the sick person of this aspect, according to her, takes it for granted that everyone is hostile, and refuses to admit that they are not (p. 63). Moreover, for such people life is a struggle of all against all. In addition, they may show elements of neurotic need for affection and approval, but he puts them all to the service of aggressive goals (p.63). Still, Horney argues that the attitude of such person is often covered over with an appearance of smooth politeness, fair mindedness and good relationship. And their principal need becomes one of control over others, using others to attain power; and any situation or relationship is looked at from the start point of what they can get out of it. Because, Horney continues, they think that everyone acts in this way, and therefore what is matter is to do it more efficiently than the rest (p. 65). However, doing so the neurotic becomes hard and tough, and they regard all feelings as “ sloppy sentimentality”. Though love play a negligible role in them, they do not see need to be considerate of others. Such person hates to admit fear of any kind, and will find violent ways of bringing it under control. The author goes on to say that for such neurotic who emphasize this aspect work is a means for an end, and has no love in what he is doing, and takes no pleasant in it. Moreover, their set of values is built upon philosophy of jungle: might make right, which leads the person away from humaneness and mercy. There attitudes make the patient to strike as liabilities in the battle for survival. As a solution, Horney argues that

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the only step to be taken by the neurotic is to face his or her conflicts and avoid their opposite sides (p. 78).

CHAPTER FIVE Horney tries to describe, in this chapter, the third aspect of the basic conflicts: moving away from people, which goes with need for detachement. She begins by saying that neurotic detachment is intolerable stain in associating with people, and solitude becomes a means of avoiding it p. 73). In addition, Horney mentions two main basic characteristics of such neurotic: his general estrangement from people, and estrangement from himself or herself. Still, under the latter characteristic Horney believes that such person is uncertain on what they are, what they love, hate, deny, hope, fear, and believe. According to the author, the crucial aspect of neurotic is their inner need to put emotional distance between themselves and others, that is to say their conscious and unconscious determination is not to get emotionally involved with others in any way, whether in love, fight, co-operation, or competition. And they draw around themselves a kind of magic circle which no one may penetrate p. 75). Still, the major need that this neurotic strives for is the need for self-sufficiency. Horney says that though he or she is capable of real enjoyment, but if enjoyment depends in any way on others he prefer to forego it, because he or she does not want to get evolved with the people. They can take pleasure in an occasional evening with a few friends but dislike general being with people, and social functions; similarly, he avoids competition, prestige, and success. He is inclined to restrict/ limit his eating, drinking, and living habits and keeps them on a scale that will not require him to spend too much time or energy in earning the money to pay for them; He feel illness as a humiliation, because it forces him to depend on others; He acquires his knowledge, rather than taken from somebody or asking for direction when they are lost. The second pronounced need of such person, according to Horney, is his or her need for privacy. Thus they put a sign on their doors: do not disturb is the sign. The third need that Horney mentioned is the need for superiority. Here, the neurotic feels that the treasure within himself or herself should be praised without his or her own effort. Still, they want to feel completely distinct from the others. Hence, for Horney detachment is an intrinsic part of the basic conflicts, and protection against it. She concluded by saying that as long as the contradictory sets of values continue to exist in such people, real peace or freedom can never be attained (p.95).

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CHAPTER SIX Horney discussed this chapter, idealized image, as the consequence of compliant types that goes with moving towards people. She believes that, in the attitude towards others, the neurotic person settle two of the major ways in which he attempts to solve his or her conflict: to express certain aspects of the personality, and bringing their opposites to the fore, and to put such distance between oneself and ones follows that the conflict are set out of operation. According to the author neurotic creates an image and believes himself or herself to be in it, or ought to be in it. However, the more the image is unrealistic, the more it makes the person vulnerable and enthusiastic to get affirmation and recognition. Horney added that the idealized image has a static quality. It is a fixed idea which he or she worships not a goal toward whose attainment he strives. In addition, the element of such person functions for realistic self-confidence and realistic pride. Thus, since the person feels weak and contemptible, he or she must search for something that will make them feel better, more worthy than others. In his or her own mind he or she feels superior in some way, whether in a form of feeling more saintly or ruthless, loving or move cynical, because there is a feel of being looked down or humiliated. The idealized image, for Horney, is an attempt at solving the basic conflicts. Still, Horney argued that it exerts a decisive influence on person’s relationship with others, even though it exists only in the mind. For her, the task of therapy is to help such neurotic person to be aware of his or her idealized image, and its functions (p. 114).

CHAPTER SEVEN The author discussed externalization in this chapter, which she said that t is an attempt or the tendency to experience internal processes as if they occurred outside oneself and, as a rule to a hold these external factors responsible for one’s difficulties. However, she believed that the main purpose of the person here is to get away from the real self, abandoning the territory of self altogether. Moreover, she acknowledged that it is easy to run away from basic conflict by idealizing image, but when real self and idealized image shock the tension become unbeanable, so one can no more make use of anything within himself or herself, so he or she runs away from himself or herself, and see everything as if it lies outside. The author went on to discuss the main product of externalization, which she said that the person projects what he or she has or need to others. For instance they may feel that somebody is angry with him when he or she actually is angry with themselves, and the more aggressive the person is the more right and superior he or she feels. Another product of externalization,

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according to Horney, is a feeling worry, sense of emptiness and nonsense. Horney also mentioned the three ways in which the externalized person gets angry at oneself: first, where giving voice to hostility is uninhibited, anger is easily pushed suddenly outward. Thus, it turns in irritation. Second, it takes the form of an incessant awareness or expectation that the faults which are intolerable to oneself will infuriate other. For example, a person who imitates a saint, who whenever he or she expresses anger they feel uncomfortable, but people like them more in anger than idealizing saint image. Third way, according to her, focuses on bodily disorder. Anger against self creates physical tension, which may appear as intestinal maladies, headaches, fatigue, and so on. Horney in her last words on externalization said that externalization is an active process of self-elimination, and it only replaces the inner conflicts with external ones (p.130).

CHAPTER EIGHT In this chapter, Horney tried to discuss the auxiliary approaches of defence, such as (detachment from people, idealized self, elimination of inner-self, compartmentalization, rationalization, externalization, tendency to wards excessive self-control, aggressiveness, arbitrary rightness, elusiveness, cynicism) which are employed by the neurotic to attain a socalled harmony, which is neither permanent nor natural. She said that such additional defensive mechanisms, even worsens the neurotic’s condition than before. Horney held that these pseudo defences are built around the core of basic conflict. In a simple way, the author referred such mechanisms as protective structures, whose combination is development in every neurosis, and they are often and are all present though in varying degrees of activity (p. 131-140).

CHAPTER NINE In this chapter nine, Horney considers fear as the consequence of unresolved conflicts. She says that a protective structure builds up one defence after another until a comparatively static organization is established. In the view of Horney the experience has thought the person not to rely on himself, because it gives him a feeling of uncertainty, and Horney says that such person is imbalanced because they fear insanity. Moreover, she mentions another born fear, and the concrete expression of this fear is of insanity. Another fear of the protection structure is a fear of making something visible or exposure. Its sources are in the many pretenses. It is important to notice that the neurotic wants to appear different from what he really is, bo th to himself and other, more harmonious, more rational, more generous or powerful or ruthless.

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The consequence of such feeling, in any new situation, is wariness in the face of being liked or appreciated. For instance, the person thinks, consciously or unconsciously, that they like him now, but if they really knew him, they would feel otherwise. For the person, every new fear requires a new set of defences.

CHAPTER TEN In a bid to consider the consequence of unresolved conflicts: impoverishment of personality, Horney discusses certain symptomatic disorders, like depression, alcoholism, epilepsy, or schizophrenia, in the hope of arriving at a better understanding of particular neurotic disturbances. She also tried to answer the question, what do unresolve conflicts do to our energies, our integrity, and our happiness? With conviction, Horney says that one cannot grasp the significance of any symptomatic disorder without understanding its fundamental human basis. She noted that unresolved conflicts are injurious and the cause a great deal of havoc on our personalities. Again, living with unresolved conflicts involve primary a devastating waste of human energies, occasion not only by the conflicts themselves, but by the all the devious attempts to remove them. Neurotic inertia is a paralysis of initiative and action. It is a s result the strong alienation from the self, and a lack of goal direction. This however, Horney noted, drives the person deeper into his or her neurosis, because the patient moral in part results from his or her neurosis, and in part contribu tes to its maintenance. It is unresolved conflicts that make a lot of damage on personality.

CHAPTER ELEVEN Horney discusses, in this chapter, how the neurotic becomes hopeless as the consequence of unresolved conflicts, already mentioned. For her, Hopelessness is an ultimate prudent of unresolved conflicts, rooted in despair of being wholehearted and undivided. The hopelessness comes when the person becomes aware that he is far from being uniquely perfect person as he or she sees in his idealized image, either in love or in work. As a result of this they no longer believe in themselves, in their development: they give up everything. However, Horney believes that before any hopelessness there are two [2] forces: resistance force, which fights within the person in order to maintain the condition of that person; incentive force, which help the patience to overcome resistance, and to risk any thing in life. She also says that happiness of such neurotic person depends on too many conditions in order to be frequent, and alive.

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CHAPTER TWELVE In starting this chapter: sadistic trends , the author begins by defining what sadistic trend is all about. She says that a sadistic trends is that person without hope and turn to be destructive, but at the same time make an attempt at restitution by living vicariously. In order words, a sadistic person enslaves others, his partners, by thinking that they have neither wishes, nor feeling apart from or different from what he or she has. For them, it is not the person’s life that account but his observing interest. So to say there is sadistic exploitation whenever there is tendency of frustrating others. However, Horney is convinced that perverted sexual drive is the inner necessities that force a person to behave with such cruelty. Thus, the aspects of sadism are sexuality and cruelty. Moreover, according to Horney, The neurotic of this kind hates life and all that belong to it; he does not feel that others have their sorrow also, so he hates the pleasures of the others. The reason why he or she is driven to frustrate the others is to inflict suffering, to find fault, to make insatiable demands on the others. Also, they feel beyond forgiveness and beyond repair.

CONCLUSION AND EVALUATION

The main point of theory of neuroses, discussed in this book by Horney, is moving towards people, against people, and away from people. However, unresolved inner co...