A must read for any serious psychology student!
This is a book that lays out Karen Horney's theory of neurosis. It is not a self-help book per se, but if you want to understand your inner subconscious processes - this is the best theory out there (in my opinion). It is complementary to ideas that you will find in CBT and Recovery literature.
I challenge anyone out there to read a self-help book out there today that does not take at least one idea from this book.
I have a Master's degree in psychology and have primarily trained in and use cognitive therapy. However, if you study cognitive therapy, Karen Horney will barely be a footnote. This is absolutely baffling to me after reading Neurosis and Human Growth. Horney makes reference to nearly every cognitive therapy concept out there including the role of attitudes and distorted thinking. When I have heard others reference her, they make reference to what she seems to be most famous for - "The Tyranny of the Should". Of course, Cognitive theorists have stolen this idea and have taken her words and twisted them into the term "cognitive distortion" ... or thinking error. This "thinking error" is called "shoulds" or "should statements." Albert Ellis called it "Must-erbation."
Of course, the therapeutic methods used by Ellis and Beck are different than Horney's approach - which primarily used free association and dream interpretation to "uncover" subconscious thoughts and attitudes. Cognitive therapy has the same general aims but instead refers to the subconscious processes as "automatic thoughts." So, I'm not saying that Beck and Ellis made no original contributions. But, Horney's ideas supply the basic foundation.
It's a bit frustrating for me that she gets very little credit to her immense contribution to the field of psychology - and she came by it by her own suffering and self-work. To me, it's as if Beck and Ellis stole her ideas, came up with some new therapeutic interventions and passed it all off as their own. Why else has Horney received so little attention?
That brings me to another of Horney's contributions - "Self-Analysis" - Cognitive therapy self-help books proliferate stores today. She was the first psychiatrist to discuss this topic in her book "Self Analysis" (as far as I know).
Even newer "Third Wave" CBT approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment therapy emphasize what is called "pragmatic truth criterion" - which Horney proposes in this book when she writes: "The criterion for what we cultivate or reject in ourselves lies in the question: Is a particular attitude or drive inductive or obstructive to my human growth?"
There are many other examples I could point out. I hope that Horney will get the proper recognition that she deserves at some point in the future.
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Reviews with images
Excellent Book - Unfinished and Missing Pages
Unfortunately, my copy is missing the last 38 pages. I don’t know if it’s a seller issue or publisher issue but I have not been able to finish the book. 3 stars because I literally cannot complete reading this book. It ends at “the pros-“ and clearly there’s meant to be 400 pages in total. This copy ends at 362.Having said that this is an excellent book. I suggest everyone read it to understand their, their boss’s, and their partners nueroses to better understand yourself, how to handle a situation, and how to handle yourself in relation to others.
Top reviews from other countries
Myshkin
Everyone should read this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2017MarkAntony
A classic. Karen Horney was clearly a psychiatric thinker ...
Reviewed in Canada on November 2, 2014Amazon Customer
Le top du développement personnel
Reviewed in France on July 16, 2012
