How to be happy though human / by W. Béran Wolfe.
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and the individual. From a purely dynamic point of view there are live chief neurotic patterns : the first, an assault on some special sector of the battle-front with full forces ; the second, hesitation at a, distance from the front; the third, a detour around the chief arenas of human endeavour ; the fourth, a frank retreat from the fighting front ; and the fifth, the preliminary admission of defeat, and the destruction, in part or entirely, of the self. The reader should remember that a neurotic individual need not confine himself to any single type of these strategies to the exclusion of the others. It frequently happens that one strategy is preferred until its usefulness is exhausted or the conditions change. The neurotic then suddenly seems to change his entire character, and he emerges in an entirely different r6le. If we apply the hormic principle of purposive goal-seeking we can easily understand this change of front, because the goal has really not changed in essence although the means may have been modified. If the behaviour is really neurotic, we shall be able to discover that reality and its problems are evaded as much by the second strategy as by the first. The neurotic can be likened to a gambler on the stock exchange. His steadfast goal is to make money. When there is a “ bull ” market he is to be found on the side of the “ bulls When the market is depressed, he will be found on the side of the “ bears ”. In either case his operations swell his exchequer, although his strategy seems antithetical. Let us examine the various patterns of neurosis now, in order better to realize the unity of all neurotic behaviour. Fundamental Dynamics of Neurotic Behaviour i. Evasion of reality by assault on a single sector of the battle-front. This aggressive form of neurotic behaviour is so common that it is hardly considered a neurosis any longer. It lies close to genius, because the genius differs