It’s that time of the year again folks. Love is in the air. We are surrounded by hearts everywhere. Capitalism is telling us to buy things to prove our love everywhere we go.
Thankfully, for single people like me, love comes in many forms. The story today is about one of those forms of love as well. The love that a supervisor and his self-proclaimed protege had more than a century ago.
Their relationship was short, passionate, and explosive. It was also super confusing. But then again, when you put two psychoanalysts in a relationship, things can get super confusing super fast.
This is the story of two of the biggest names from the field of Psychoanalysis - Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and their relationship.
More Than Meets The Eye
When we studied the theories of Freud and Jung in our UG program, the story was quite simple.
Freud and Jung were quite close and Freud considered Jung as the heir to the throne of psychoanalysis. That was until Freud proposed his psychosexual stages of personality development.
This theory, as the story goes, was so repugnant to Jung that he completely broke off the relationship with his mentor and went his own way.
This is not a true representation of the true relationship the two had. They were, in truth, much more toxic to each other.
The Honeymoon Period
Much like all relationships, the beginning was absolutely heavenly. When Jung and Freud first met in 1906, they talked for 13 hours straight! Time seemed like an immaterial construct and they were lost in each other’s words. Here is how Jung described the first meeting,
Time is nothing! That’s what one realizes on such occasions. Those are, there are moments, that are completely timeless … Yes, that was really an intense encounter. What depth he had!
But right from the beginning, there were some reservations the two seemed to have about the other. While describing the first meeting, Jung mentioned how Freud had “a neurotic element” that Jung could not look past.
It seemed like right from the first meeting, the two psychoanalysts had made it a point to psychoanalyze the other. (Something psychologists are guilty of doing to this day) This constant analysis naturally led to problems down the road.
Father-Son & Oedipus
Despite the underlying issues, the two grew really close to each other between 1906-1909. They constantly wrote to each other and discussed the future of psychoanalysis as a discipline.
Jung often sought advice from Freud on handling his extramarital affairs. He also admitted to having a “religious crush” on Freud. When Jung requested that Freud call him, “son”, Freud obliged.
Freud, on the other hand, kept his feelings to himself most of the time. In moments of vulnerability, he would scold Jung for not replying to his letters sooner. Secretly, Freud had already designated Jung as his successor in psychoanalysis.
Jung insisted that the two have a father-son relationship and Freud agreed. This is surprising because Freud is the man who proposed the concept of an Oedipus Complex, where the son has a secret desire to kill his father to keep the mother for himself.
Foreshadowing, am I right?
Trouble in Paradise
Trouble began breaking out between the two as their careers progressed. Freud was constantly critical of Jung’s obsession with religion and myths. He believed Jung was being unscientific in treating imaginative speculation as scientific evidence.
Yeah, Sigmund Freud - the guy who thought babies want to kill their fathers, thought that Jung was being unscientific.
Jung, on the other hand, thought these criticisms were coming from a space of jealousy and fear for Freud. He believed Freud had an “old-age complex” which made him critical of Jung’s concepts.
Not just that, Jung was also disappointed when he was not visited by Freud when the latter visited Germany in 1912. Jung was certain that Freud was averse to being replaced at the top of psychoanalysis, thus leading to constant unending criticisms and attacks.
As any mature person would do, Jung decided to capitalize on these assumed insecurities of Freud and made a quip about him in his published work,
"To be fruitful means, indeed, to destroy one’s self, because with the rise of the succeeding generation the previous one has passed beyond its highest point; thus our descendants are our most dangerous enemies, whom we cannot overcome, for they will outlive us, and, therefore, without fail, will take the power from our enfeebled hands.
But Freud was not one to hold back. Being the older and the more mature person, Freud decided to DO THE EXACT SAME THING Jung was doing - attacked him in publications.
Freud was constantly contemptuous of Jung’s work and ideas. He thought Jung was going to turn psychoanalysis into a laughingstock. In fact, Freud’s 1914 paper, “On Narcissism” is directly aimed at Jung and his supposed “God Complex”
Freud’s paper, “Totem and Taboo” (1913), his first and only paper on the psychology of religion and myths is also considered a product of his disdain for Jung.
The Break Up
All things must come to an end, whether they are good or toxic. On January 3, 1913, Freud wrote a letter to Jung suggesting that the two abandon their relationship entirely.
I shall lose nothing by it— for my only emotional tie with you has been a long thin thread — the lingering effect of past disappointments.
On the 6th of January, Jung wrote back to Freud accepting this proposal — and just like that, the most special “father-son” relationship in Psychology had come to an end.
Freud continued his work in psychoanalysis albeit without an heir apparent. Jung, on the other hand, continued his investigations into human mythologies and the “science” behind them.
Funnily enough, modern psychology often looks at both of them as different shades of unscientific drivel, although, it is generally accepted that Jung makes Freud sound scientific.
The new generations, which Jung warned about — the ones that had the potential to destroy the past that raised them, seem to have done exactly that. The most significant breakup in psychology, may not have been that significant after all.
And that is it for this week! What did you think about the relationship that Freud and Jung had? Do you think constantly analyzing the other person may have had a negative effect on the two?
You can let me know by replying to the email or in the comments below.
Until next time,
Arjun