Instinct And Personality

Originally published in 1928, the principle aim of this book was to present and apply an original viewpoint in psychology. The work is substantially that of a thesis on "The Problem of Personality in the Light of Recent Psychology" for which the author was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters in the University of Melbourne in 1925. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

From Instinct to Identity begins an account of personalitydevelopment by tracing the legacy of the human speciesfrom its primate heritage to its present form. Findingsfrom ethology, primate studies, linguistics, and othersources are used to construct an account of the uniquefeatures of man. Th e evolution of early cultures is shownthrough use of anthropological work. The ideas of Sigmund Freud, particularly as modifi edby Erik Erikson, are presented together with the theoriesand fi ndings of Jean Piaget and his collaborators in a seriesof chapters that follow the person from infancy to adolescence.Other chapters examine play, dreams, and fantasy;anxiety and its eff ects on the development of self; moraldevelopment; and identity. Th e emphasis throughout ison the growth of self, and its impact on social norms. The author blends together theories and findingsfrom psychoanalysis, psychology, ethology, humanisticpsychology, and child development, develops a model ofhuman motivation in which the basic emotional systemsof love, anxiety, aggression, curiosity and intelligence aretraced from their primate background through the humanlife cycle. He brings together classic ideas on guilt andconscience with research on moral reasoning and egodevelopment,and clarifi es diffi cult ideas in a clear, directprose style. This classic volume, now available in paperbackwith a new introduction by the author, will fi nd a newaudience among anthropologists as well as psychologistsinterested in the evolution of human behavior. Louis Breger is professor of psychoanalyticstudies emeritus at the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology in Pasadena.He is a practicing psychotherapist andpsychoanalyst, and is the founding presidentof the Institute of ContemporaryPsychoanalysis, Los Angeles. He haswritten other books and a number ofscholarly articles on psychoanalytic topicsincluding the acclaimed biography, Freud:Darkness in the Midst of Vision, and Dostoevsky: The Author asPsychoanalyst.

From Instinct to Identity begins an account of personality development by tracing the legacy of the human species from its primate heritage to its present form. Findings from ethology, primate studies, linguistics, and other sources are used to construct an account of the unique features of man. The evolution of early cultures is shown through use of anthropological work. The ideas of Sigmund Freud, particularly as modifi ed by Erik Erikson, are presented together with the theories and findings of Jean Piaget and his collaborators in a series of chapters that follow the person from infancy to adolescence. Other chapters examine play, dreams, and fantasy; anxiety and its effects on the development of self; moral development; and identity. The emphasis throughout is on the growth of self, and its impact on social norms. The author blends together theories and findings from psychoanalysis, psychology, ethology, humanistic psychology, and child development, develops a model of human motivation in which the basic emotional systems of love, anxiety, aggression, curiosity and intelligence are traced from their primate background through the human life cycle. He brings together classic ideas on guilt and conscience with research on moral reasoning and ego development, and clarifies difficult ideas in a clear, direct prose style. This classic volume, now available in paperback with a new introduction by the author, will fi nd a new audience among anthropologists as well as psychologists interested in the evolution of human behavior.

From Instinct to Identity begins an account of personality development by tracing the legacy of the human species from its primate heritage to its present form. Findings from ethology, primate studies, linguistics, and other sources are used to construct an account of the unique features of man. The evolution of early cultures is shown through use of anthropological work. The ideas of Sigmund Freud, particularly as modifi ed by Erik Erikson, are presented together with the theories and findings of Jean Piaget and his collaborators in a series of chapters that follow the person from infancy to adolescence. Other chapters examine play, dreams, and fantasy; anxiety and its effects on the development of self; moral development; and identity. The emphasis throughout is on the growth of self, and its impact on social norms. The author blends together theories and findings from psychoanalysis, psychology, ethology, humanistic psychology, and child development, develops a model of human motivation in which the basic emotional systems of love, anxiety, aggression, curiosity and intelligence are traced from their primate background through the human life cycle. He brings together classic ideas on guilt and conscience with research on moral reasoning and ego development, and clarifies difficult ideas in a clear, direct prose style. This classic volume, now available in paperback with a new introduction by the author, will fi nd a new audience among anthropologists as well as psychologists interested in the evolution of human behavior.

It would be impossible for most of us to spend a day without coming into direct or indirect contact with dozens of people family, friends, people in the street, at the office, on television, in our fantasies and fears. Our relationships with others are the most changeable, infuriating, pleasurable and mystifying elements in our lives. Personality types, based on the ancient system of the Enneagram, will help you to enjoy more satisfying and fulfilling relationships in all areas of your life by introducing you to the nine basic personality types inherent in human nature. This knowledge will help you better understand how others think and why they behave as they do, as well as increasing your awareness of your own individual personality. Written by the leading world authority on the Enneagram, it offers a framework for understanding ourselves and those around us, as well as a wealth of practical insights for anyone interested in psychology, counselling, teaching, social work, journalism and personal management.

Reproduction of the original: The Hearts of Men by H. Fielding

Throughout this enlightening collection, Neil Maizels considers the helical tandem between the Life Instinct and the Death drive in the light of canonical literary figures like Thomas Hardy, Patricia Highsmith, Sylvia Plath and Shakespeare, classic filmmakers like Hitchcock and contemporary television shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, The West Wing and Succession. This light is filtered through intricate clinical work whereby Maizels seeks to illustrate and expound on the strength and indefatigability of the Life Instinct. He makes a case for it as the relentless driver of integration and “binding” in the ever-growing, expansive psyche. He considers both Freud’s original equation of the Life Instinct with Eros and a widening interconnecting love of mankind, and Melanie Klein’s with gratitude and creative reparation. This book is a multi-layered presentation of the clinical and theoretical work of Neil Maizels as it has evolved and convolved over several decades. It places the feeling through of one’s conflicts at the heart of the mind’s generation of a unique identity, equipped to evolve its own unique form of creative spirit in the face of life’s most pressing psychological challenges: the limitation of time, and reciprocated beauty. The Life-Death Instinct: Feeling Through Creative-Clinical Moments is important reading for anyone seeking to expand their knowledge in this fascinating intersection of psychoanalysis and the arts.

The Enneagram is a profound tool for self-observation and inner work. While there are plenty of resources on the topic, most Enneagram literature is largely limited to entry-level descriptions of the Nine Types. The Instinctual Drives and the Enneagram focuses on a crucial but misunderstood facet of the Enneagram Typology--our "animal" Instinctual Drives and how they are related to our spiritual nature. While nearly every school of thought on the Enneagram acknowledges the importance and role of the Instinctual Drives, there's a deep lack of understanding what they actually are, the role they play in personality, and most importantly, their implications for inner work. This book achieves, for the first time, a coherent theory of the instinctual drives based in biology, evolution, and developmental psychology, and it paves the way toward a more accurate view of inner work that directly addresses our animal nature. In so doing, it turns our current understanding of the Enneagram on its head by showing that the personality does not exist in parallel with our instinctual drives, but in reaction to them. In other words, instinct comes first - and one's Enneagram type is nothing more or less than a strategy to fulfill instinctual needs. This clarified orientation has important implications for our spiritual development, self-remembrance, and the transformation of our personhood into a conduit of Essence.