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Minal Habash
Ms. Cha
English 10 Period 1
May 25, 2012
Revolutionary: Sigmund Freud
The mind is one of the most confusing and intricate things about the human body, and
Sigmund Freud did everything he could to unlock its secrets. Freud stretched the boundaries of
science to things that no one understood or even tried. He took the ideas of many but did not just
observe behaviors, he explained them. Freud invented psychoanalysis and changed
psychologists’ understanding of the human mind by delving deeper than just what people can see
or measure. His impact on our society is seen everywhere, such as the school Da Vinci that
focuses on the human condition.
Psychologists used to observe and treat mental patients as if they were animals, and they
could not understand why they were sick in the first place. Psychologists before Freud just
watched and described mental illnesses (Snowden ix). The field of psychology was just about the
behaviors someone had instead of the source of these behaviors. In 1916, at the University of
Vienna, Freud declared that the old system of treating mental patients was wrong because it
treated them as if they were not human (Borch-Jacobsen, Shamdasani 1). Many people were
afraid of the unconscious mind before Freud, and because of this, they had a hard time believing
him. They feared the unconscious mind because it is impossible to control. Many psychologists
used to think determining a mental illness was as simple as examining urine and cures were to
put leeches on your skin (Krull 9). The reason psychologists did this is they thought leeches
would suck up the “bad” blood, essentially curing the patient. This demonstrates how little was
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known about the mind before Freud. The reason Freud was able to change these things was his
brilliant mind.
Freud was an inquisitive man, who craved knowledge, and because of this he was able to
accomplish great things, even if he was a “Godless Jew.” Freud was the top of his class, learned
6 languages before he was 8, and started school a year early (Snowden 2,3). Freud craved
knowledge even at a young age; he always tries to expand his understanding of the world and the
people in it. His curious nature is one of the many reasons he was able to leave a mark on this
world. His mother called him “my golden Sigi” (Krull 17). He was amazing and precious, and
even though he was in a house with 10 other siblings, he was the “golden” one. In memory of
Freud in 1940, W. H. Auden stated:
For one who lived among enemies so long;
If often he was wrong and at times absurd,
To us he is no more a person
Now but a whole climate of opinion (Breger 1).
He was absurd, and even though he was wrong about many things, he changed how people saw
the mind; he has left an impression on the world. With these qualities, Freud was able to make an
change the world.
Freud was able to change the worlds’ view on the mind, and change how society is today
by investigating the reasons for peoples’ actions. Freud invented the field of psychoanalysis
which is emphasizes that there are motives in the conscious and unconscious mind that drives us
to do what we do (Snowden ix, x). He thought that there are reasons for different behaviors, and
he was determined to figure it out. Because of his theories on motives people have for certain
behaviors, society was able to determine the many reasons a person could go insane. Freud
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created a theory that the mind is composed of three parts: the id, the ego, and the super-ego. The
id is a very selfish amoral way of thinking which is more prominent in a baby. The ego is a
rational way of thinking that develops over time. The super-ego however is a sort of ruler over
both the id and the ego; it is basically your conscience (Snowden 104-106). Freud was
attempting to explain how the mind worked by classifying behaviors in three different parts. This
no idea changed how people viewed the mind, and why the mind works in the way it does. Freud
was able to change the world, and that made him revolutionary.
Freud changed what we know about the mind by asking questions and not just observing
but explaining as well. His impact is seen in everything from literature to science fiction movies.
He was able to realize that the mind is more complex than others may have thought. He saw that
psychologists just observed and knew that there was something deeper at play. Freud and his
inquisitive mind wanted to know why minds work as they do. Even though he was in a world of
people who thought that his ideas were absurd, he pressed on. If Freud had never created the
field of psychoanalysis, they would still be treating depression with leeches. Society would be
extremely different without Freud; he was able to change not only how people perceived the
mind but how they see the world. Freud may have been absurd and at times wrong, but he started
the ball rolling, creating a revolution.
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Works Cited
Borch-Jacobsen, Mikkel and Shamdasani, Sonu. The Freud Files: An Inquiry into the History of
Psychoanalysis. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Breger Louis. A Dream of Undying Fame: How Freud Betrayed His Mentor and Invented
Psychoanalysis. New York: Basic Books, 2009.
Krull, Kathleen. Giants of Science: Sigmund Freud. New York: Penguin Group, 2006.
Snowden, Ruth. Teach Yourself: Freud. London: Hodder Education, 2006.