Association of ideas; Memory; Paragrammatism; Psychoanalysis; Psychology, Pathological; Repression (Psychology)
“Before digressing with the last remarks I mentioned that the word
_Cadillac_ brought the sound association _catalogue_. This association
brought back another important epoch in my life with which Professor
Peterson is connected. Last May I was informed by the secretary of
the faculty that I was appointed chief of clinic of the department of
psychiatry. I need hardly say that I was exceedingly pleased to be
so honoured--in the first place because it was the realization of an
ambition which I dared entertain only under special euphoric states;
and, secondly, it was a compensation for the many unmerited criticisms
from those who are blindly and unreasonably opposing some of my work.
Soon thereafter I called on the stenographer of the faculty and spoke
to her about a correction to be made in my name as it was printed in
the catalogue. For some unknown reason (perhaps racial prejudice) this
stenographer, a maiden lady, must have taken a dislike to me. For
about three years I repeatedly requested her to have this correction
made, but she had paid no attention to me. To be sure she always
promised to attend to it, but the mistake remained uncorrected.
“When I saw her last May I again reminded her of this correction, and
also called her attention to the fact that as I had been appointed
chief of clinic I was especially anxious to have my name correctly
printed in the catalogue. She apologized for her remissness and assured
me that everything should be as I requested. Imagine my surprise and
chagrin when on receiving the new catalogue I found that while the
correction had been made in my name I was not listed as chief of
clinic. When I asked her about this she was quite puzzled; she said
she had no idea that I had been appointed chief of clinic. She had to
consult the minutes of the faculty, written by herself, before she was
convinced of it. It should be noted that as recorder to the faculty it
was her duty to know all these things as soon as they transpired.[75]
When she finally ascertained that I was right she was very apologetic
and informed me that she would at once write to the superintendent of
the clinic to inform him of my appointment, something which she should
have done months before. Of course I gained nothing by her regrets and
apologies. The catalogue was published and those who read it did not
find my name in the desired place. I am chief of clinic in fact but not
in name. Moreover, as the appointments are made only for one year, it
is quite likely that my great ambition will never be actually realized.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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