Sigmund Freud Quotes
The funny thing about Sigmund Freud quotes is that most of the quotes we attribute to him today were directly taken from his own written works – which were translated from German.
So, why does it matter that the majority of Sigmund Freud quotes were derived from a text written in another language? Well, for one thing, many of the words, meanings, and phrases cannot be directly translated into modern English. For another, throughout time various people have taken these quotes and changed them as they saw fit. This is the precise reason why ten websites will list the same quote ten different ways. However, some of those quotes are worth of recognition – whether or not Freud would have recognized them as his own words were he to view them.
One of the most popular sayings that many like to attribute to Freud is “a belligerent state permits itself every such misdeed, every such act of violence, as would disgrace the individual.” While this statement is entirely true, it is also one that is based solely upon observation (then again, the “great doctor” would have been keen on observation). Another interesting tidbit goes something like this: “a certain degree of neurosis is of inestimable value as a drive, especially to a psychologist.” Here, Freud may have been showing his comical side – after all, a psychologist such as Freud without any neurotic patients might have been less than useless!
There are literally thousands of proposed Sigmund Freud quotes floating around the world today, though it seems as though we tend to gravitate towards only a few of them. Perhaps this is due to the fact that most of his quotes pertain to his work, which would be hard to follow for those that have never read about his various theories. In any case, these sayings and phrases will change again as time marches on.
It is entirely within the realm of reality that many fine minds in today’s world will be quoted in the future. As times change and certain meanings are lost, these phrases and thoughts will become adapted in order to make sense to the modern world – just look at all the recent film adaptations of modern Shakespeare works. Alas, this is the way that the world works, and as long as you are aware that things are not always what they seem to be, you can quote the world freely.
As you can now tell, Sigmund Freud quotes that can be found on the internet may not be entirely accurate, though they will set your mind thinking if you allow them to. Just remember – beware of modern language when it comes to ancient quotes, and instead seek the source yourself.