Neurosis and Human Growth: The Struggle Toward Self-Realization

Karen Horney gives as understandable and elegant an explanation of the basis of human frustration and depression, and of its insidious foundation, as I've had the pleasure of reading. Highly recommended for anyone with an intelligent interest in the "human condition" and its roots. Read it first in the early 1970s and it continues to be the basis on which I peruse and investigate the poetry of our species.

I respect the opinion of the two-star reviewer, but I can only guess that this person is either too young, or simply not crazy enough, to appreciate how Dr. Horney "nailed" the essential problem of one's vital energies being disastrously diverted to the service of the idealized self. A welcome oasis this is for those thoughtful souls who are sick and tired of suffering and want to get on with the business of living. All positive-thinking self-help books -- or programs -- will fail the true neurotic unless this topographical map of the counter-productive Unconscious is studied, understood and committed to memory. Just like knowing how to get around town, when you're in a strange city, if you know what I mean. To characterize this work as a masterpiece is no exaggeration.

Karen Horney's book "Neurosis and Human Growth" expalins neurosis and how it is the antithesis of healthy emotional development. But more importantly it is about self realization. Irvin Yalom references this book in his most recent book,"The Gift of Therapy".Yalom states self-realization as the core concept of the book.The individual suffering from neurosis is in conflict. The conflict is between the real self and the idealized self, a self that a neurotic creates as a way to deal with himself and others. Ultimately if an individual is to overcome their neurosis they must come to terms with the idealized self and accept their real self with love and compassion. Horney not only expalins her theory of neurosis but also describes the therapeutic process that a neurotic person must go through to heal, self-realization.Horney a Neo-Freudian, also compares her theory of neurosis to Freud's theory effectively. In the end she advocates the optimism of her philosophy overs Freud's pessimism. The optimism that Horney advocates is self-realization.As a student of psychotherapy and patient I found this book to be very valuable. This book and Carl Rogers' book "On Becoming a Person" have positively effected me both as a student and patient. I highly recommend this book to all students of psychotherapy and to any individual who is interested in neurosis or anyone on their path to self-realization.

As someone who is permanently "slightly anxious", I wanted to understand the root of that anxiety and hence what could be done about it. Horney offers the theory that children who feel threatened develop an idealised view of themselves as a defence mechanism - but this in turn creates further problems in adulthood as the adult fails to live up to the "perfect self" expectation. Horney illustrates this thesis convincingly from both case work and literature - several of the illustrations described exactly what goes on in my own mind.So, if you're serious about a serious read, this one is for you.

Karen Horney writes that emotional problems originate in the environment. Problems usually start during childhood when the child faces an hostile environment (e.g. abusive, careless, or overprotective parents). In order to deal with this hostile environment the child develops defense mechanisms: she moves toward people, she moves against people, or she moves away from people. The child may accept all kinds of abuses in exchange for some affection; the child may become agressive and rebellious against parents and authority in general; or the child may turn into a rock (aloof, reserved, quiet). Later in life these defense mechanisms evolve into three kinds of neuroses: one characterized by morbid dependency on others and compliance, another by extreme agressive behavior despising almost everybody, and another one by aloofness and carelessness. At the same time that the person develops any of these types of behavior she creates an idealized image of herself (with all kinds of attributes, talents and virtues -which are mainly imagined and which she tries to live up to.) The real self (the actual talents and limitations) recede into the unconscious or are "forgotten". The more the neurotic attempts to live up to her idealized self, the more difficulties and inner conflicts she faces, and the more she hates her real self. This creates all kinds of difficulties in the person's relationships (to herself and to others) and in all kinds of situations including the job place. Along with these difficulties the person experiences depression and anxiety, among other symptoms. Horney argues very persuasively her theory throughout the book, showing incredible intelligence, insight and knowlege (she must have really spent a lot of time analyzing patients and taking notes about every detail she discussed with them); her arguments are so well informed. I really enjoyed reading this book; it helped me know myself and understand others better. My only disappointment is her treatment of the "real self" in chapter six. Just when I was getting excited about her discussion of the "real self" she gradually changed the subject and ended concentrating again on the "idealized self" and how the neurotic relates to it. Had she lived longer I am sure that she would have written (perhaps a whole book!) on the real self (how it survives and even grows in spite of the obstacles imposed by the person's neurotic drives). But at least I know, after reading this very insightful book, that all of us have a "real" and an "idealized" self, and the balance of these determines the degree of our neurosis.