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Our Inner Conflicts
In *Our Inner Conflicts*, pioneering psychoanalyst Karen Horney challenges traditional Freudian frameworks to redefine neurosis and its roots. She draws a clear line between universal inner struggles—normal for all humans navigating free will—and crippling neurotic conflicts, which emerge from childhood environments of fear, neglect, or hostility that foster "basic anxiety." Horney identifies three rigid, contradictory neurotic trends people adopt to cope: moving toward others (compliance), moving against others (aggression), and moving away from others (detachment). Unlike healthy individuals who flex these attitudes, neurotics are trapped in forced patterns, using defense mechanisms like idealized self-images and externalization to mask their turmoil. These tactics deepen alienation from the true self, leading to despair, self-sabotage, and even sadistic tendencies. Horney argues healing is attainable: through targeted psychoanalysis, patients can uncover hidden conflicts, reclaim their authentic identities, and build genuine, fulfilling relationships.
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