Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement.
Alfred AdlerRead
In the investigation of a neurotic style of life, we must always suspect an opponent, and note who suffers most because of the patient's condition. Usually this is a member of the family.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the impact of an individual's neurosis on their family members, suggesting that those closest often bear the burden.
Alfred Adler emphasizes that when examining the neurotic behaviors of an individual, it is crucial to recognize the effects those behaviors have on others, particularly family members. Often, it is the family who endures the most significant suffering due to the patient's condition, indicating a complex relational dynamic where one's personal issues can lead to collective pain and dysfunction.
Themes
NeurosisFamilySufferingPsychologyRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a family therapy session to discuss the impacts of one member's mental health on the entire family.
More from Alfred Adler
All quotes →War is not the continuation of politics with different means, it is the greatest mass-crime perpetrated on the community of man.
Alfred AdlerRead
Every individual acts and suffers in accordance with his peculiar teleology, which has all the inevitability of fate, so long as he does not understand it.
Alfred AdlerRead
The science of the mind can only have for its proper goal the understanding of human nature by every human being, and through its use, brings peace to every human soul.
Alfred AdlerRead
All failures - neurotics, psychotics, criminals, drunkards, problem children, suicides, perverts, and prostitutes - are failures because they are lacking in social interest
Alfred AdlerRead
What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning - and some of them many times over - what do you find? That you can swim? Well - life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!
Alfred AdlerRead
Similar quotes
We like to think there is this core of human nature – that good people can't do bad things, and that good people will dominate over bad situations. Infact, when we look at the Stanford prison studies, that we put good people in an evil place, and we saw who won. Well, the sad message in this, is in this case is the evil place won over the good people.
Philip ZimbardoRead
I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important. Better a stable world that's familiar, in which I'm doing pretty poorly, than dealing with all the ambiguity of a changing world.
Robert SapolskyRead
There is zero correlation between IQ and emotional empathy... They're controlled by different parts of the brain.
Daniel GolemanRead
The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to feel important.
John DeweyRead
Interpretations, criticisms, diagnoses, and judgments of others are actually alienated expressions of our unmet needs.
Marshall B. RosenbergRead
We teach people that they upset themselves. We can't change the past, so we change how people are thinking, feeling and behaving today.
Albert EllisRead