Association of ideas; Memory; Paragrammatism; Psychoanalysis; Psychology, Pathological; Repression (Psychology)
(_x_) Owing to similarity of material, I add here another case of
speech-blunder, the interpretation of which requires less skill. A
professor of anatomy strove to explain the nostril, which, as is known,
is a very difficult anatomical structure. To his question whether
his audience grasped his ideas he received an affirmative reply. The
professor, known for his self-esteem, thereupon remarked: “I can
hardly believe this, for the number of people who understand the
nostril, even in a city of millions like Vienna, can be counted _on a
finger_--pardon me, I meant to say _on the fingers_ of a hand.”
(_y_) I am indebted to Dr. Alf. Robitsek, of Vienna, for calling my
attention to two speech-blunders from an old French author, which I
shall reproduce in the original.
Brantôme (1527-1614), _Vies des Dames galantes_, Discours second: “Si
ay-je cogneu une très belle et honneste dame de par le monde, qui,
devisant avec un honneste gentilhomme de la cour des affaires de la
guerre durant ces civiles, elle luy dit: ‘J’ay ouy dire que le roy a
faiet rompre tous les c---- de ce pays là.’ Elle vouloit dire le ponts.
Pensez que, venant de coucher d’avec son mary, ou songeant à son amant,
elle avoit encor ce nom frais en la bouche; et le gentilhomme s’en
eschauffer en amours d’elle pour ce mot.
“Une autre dame que j’ai cogneue, entretenant une autre grand dame
plus qu’elle, et luy louant et exaltant ses beautez, elle luy dit
après: ‘Non, madame, ce que je vous en dis, ce n’est point pour vous
_adultérer_’; voulant dire _adulater_, comme elle le rhabilla ainsi:
pensez qu’elle songeoit à adultérer.”
In the psychotherapeutic procedure which I employ in the solution and
removal of neurotic symptoms, I am often confronted with the task
of discovering from the accidental utterances and fancies of the
patient the thought contents, which, though striving for concealment,
nevertheless unintentionally betray themselves. In doing this the
mistakes often perform the most valuable service, as I can show through
most convincing and still most singular examples.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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