The Insightful Neurotic

Transcript

I’d like to talk again from Abraham Maslow.

The phrase is “insightful neurotic”.

This is from a chapter in Toward a Psychology of being, I’ll share the first 3 paragraphs:

This paper is the first of a projected series, “Critique of Self-Actualization,” whose long-term aim is the further exploration of the full reach of human nature, but whose immediate, pedagogical aim is to correct the widespread misunderstanding of self-actualization as a static, unreal, “perfect” state in which all human problems are transcended, and in which people “live happily forever after” in a superhuman state of serenity or ecstasy.

This is empirically not so, as I pointed out in my first papers on the subject. To make this fact clearer, I could describe self-actualization as a development of personality which frees the person from the deficiency problems of growth, and from the neurotic (or infantile, or fantasy, or unnecessary, or “unreal”) problems of life, so that he is able to face, endure and grapple with the” real” problems of life (the intrinsically and ultimately human problems, the unavoidable, the “existential” problems to which there is no perfect solution). That is, it is not an absence of problems but a moving from transitional or unreal problems to real problems.

 For shock purposes, I could even call the self-actualizing person a self-accepting and insightful neurotic, for this phrase may be defined in such a way as to be almost synonymous with “understanding and accepting the intrinsic human situation,” i.e., facing and accepting courageously, and even enjoying the “shortcomings” of human nature instead of trying to deny them

It is these real problems which confront even (or especially) the most highly matured human beings, that I would like to deal with in this series of papers, e.g., real guilt, real sadness, real loneliness, healthy selfishness, courage, responsibility, responsibility for others, etc.

So this makes me think of this idea, perhaps I’ve never formulated it in this way but I imagine it’s a little hypothesis but like all models it’s important. And it goes like this.

The first stage of human development is where a person goes along with others. Perhaps they trust the beliefs of others if they follow the plan then everything will work out ok.

They might have this doubt that maybe things are not ok. Maybe things are not as we’ve been told and maybe they’re denying their own questions and feelings of depression or sadness or hiding from themselves.

In the second stage you have a person who might actually become very neurotic or anxiety driven or depressed. In some sense he is denying this part of himself but he is also acutely aware that exists.

He might manage it and use some coping mechanisms. He might even turn to drugs either pharmacetuical or recreational. Alcohol or other substances in order to manage these problems or have other coping mechanisms like addiction to pornography or other that could pop up.

And probably some healthy solutions for your problems as well.

In this stage a lot of people will be under the conclusion that everybody else or most people don’t see this existential dread which haunts them.

Some describe it as the black dog that follows them or the little black cloud.

That they’re alone in this or in a sense they’re enlightened because they’re aware of this existential dread.

In a sense that is true but that’s not the whole picture.

Cause when you move to the third stage, that is when you cross the abyss and realize there is dread and perhaps life is meaningless. But perhaps I can fill that empty cup with my own heart, with my own love and what I decide is important.

And this is in a sense, this is kind of what Maslow is describing here. In this self actualized phase it’s not like you can lose all your problems or avoid existential dread.

Actually you learn to have a healthy relationship with existential dread which is what he is referring to when he says insightful neurotic.

When I read this phrase I immediately identified with it. How funny, many times these emotions will surge in me. Anxiety, nerves, depression, heartache and I will attempt to be compassionate towards these feelings. Self accepting or even self embracing is the ideal.

And being insightful and noticing what is going on with these emotions and even conducting some kind of experiments. What happens if I attempt to do this, or observe it in this way. Let it dissolve or practice paradoxical intention as Victor Frankl talked about in Man’s Search for Meaning.

Trying to express or push an emotion to the forefront so it will become released. Just as tensing a muscle will help it become more relaxed.

So what if we can be a little more like that? What if we can not just experience emotions, not just have coping mechanisms, that’s alright. If we have strategies to explore those emotions so much the better.

If we can learn to understand ourselves and have insight to what’s going on inside of us.

Exercise our intellect, our discernment to find out what these things are really like or what is their nature or what do they respond to?

The insightful neurotic. Understanding our own curious and sometimes senseless emotions knowing ourselves.

Thank you for observing what’s going on within yourself.

Thank you for wondering what those things might be or what they might respond to. How you could eventually understand yourself and set an example so that they might understand themselves.