Sigmund Freud, as an early 20th-century Viennese Lamarckian, should take human nature to be highly malleable, leading to a paradox in his views against this idea.
Freud's analytical methods invited exploration beyond rational constructs, revealing that the mind is influenced by unconscious drives and chaotic, irrational forces, marking a departure from Enlightenment's rationalism.
In psychology, anyone who gets involved in or tries to talk in an analytic, careful way about religion is immediately branded a meathead; a mystic; an intuitive, touchy-feely sort of moron.” - Robert Hogan (1979)
Instead of Trying to Be Perfect, Choose to Be Authentic
Pursuing an authentic life is the most meaningful path; perfectionism often leads to insecurity and feelings of unworthiness. Coping mechanisms may stem from false beliefs.
Sigmund Freud mistakenly believed that human civilization would mature and outgrow childlike thinking in religion, but the Pew survey shows that spirituality remains deeply embedded in society.
Did Abraham Lincoln Have a "Schizoid Manic Personality"?
Freud's theories have provided a compelling way to paint a portrait of not just individuals but also wider historical narratives, opening avenues of psychoanalytic exploration.