v

INTRODUCTION

PROFESSOR FREUD developed his system of psy-
choanalysis while studying the so-called border-
line cases of mental diseases, such as hysteria
and compulsion neurosis. By discarding the old
methods of treatment and strictly applying him-
self to a study of the patient’s life he discovered
that the hitherto puzz-
ling symptoms had a definite
meaning, and that there was nothing arbitrary
in any morbid mani-
festation. Psychoanalysis
always showed that they referred to some definite
problem or conflict of the person concerned. It
was while tracing back the abnormal to the
normal state that Professor Freud found how
faint the line of demarcation was between the
normal and neurotic person, and that the psycho-
pathologic mechanisms so glaringly observed in
the psycho-
neuroses and psychoses could usually
be demonstrated in a lesser degree in normal
persons. This led to a study of the faulty
actions of everyday life and later to the publica-
tion of the Psychopathology of Everyday Life, a
book which passed through four editions in
Germany and is considered the author’s most
popular work. With great ingenuity and pene-
 

vi

Introduction

tration the author throws much light on the
complex problems of human behaviour, and
clearly demonstrates that the hitherto considered
impassable gap between normal and abnormal
mental states is more apparent than real.

This translation is made of the fourth German
edition, and while the original text was strictly
followed, linguistic difficulties often made it
necessary to modify or substitute some of the
author’s cases by examples comprehensible to the
English-speaking reader.

NEW YORK.

A. A BRILL.