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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

K IS FOR MISUNDERSTANING?

“We're all islands shouting lies to each other across seas of misunderstanding.”
- Rudyard Kipling

As soon as Jung left, Freud returned.

"Finally that misguided zealot who wished me dead is gone.  Sad case.  Sad case."

I shook my head in sadness
  
At the beginning, he had been close to Jung but when Jung disagreed with him, Freud would faint.

 Once after interpreting a comment to mean Jung wanted to kill him, Freud fainted. 

He then fainted again when Jung continued to disagree on the diagnosis. 

Freud admitted that fainting was a defense mechanism for unconscious anxiety.

Freud interrupted my reflections,

"Jung's homosexual tendencies got the better of him I am afraid."

I sighed. We tend to think of theory development as emerging out of an objective, scientific attitude. 

Wrong. 

 All theory is autobiography

 The person the theorist really wants to understand, more than anyone, is himself.

 The subjective can never be elbowed aside. It hovers inescapably, like an off-stage voice, whispering, whispering, whispering...

Twain looked at Freud, his arsenic grey eyes suddenly sad.


Freud turned to me.  "So at last we come to the letter K.  What do you think of upon hearing that letter?"

"Kipling," I cried.

Freud frowned, then his eyes fell on the young ghost who sat beside Mark Twain, and Kipling cocked his head at the psychiatrist.

“We're all islands shouting lies to each other across seas of misunderstanding.” 

Freud stared at him uncomprehending, and Kipling sighed, "You really do not see it, do you?" 

"See what?" snapped Freud.

Kipling rose, shaking his head.  
"I sat down hoping to leave with laughter,  But alas, I see it is not to be."

He gripped my shoulder.
“The world is very lovely, and it's very horrible--and it doesn't care about your life or mine or anything else.  

But, Roland, remember -- no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

He gave one last look of sadness to Freud and walked into the engulfing shadows. 

12 comments:

  1. I'm really enjoying these posts, Roland - they give me food for thought. Thank you!

    Susan A Eames from
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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    1. I do most of these late at night -- the midnight hour does strange things to my muse! :-) Thanks for liking my posts.

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  2. Hi Roland! I'm back from China but my brain is more mush than usual, so I'm not sure what any of this meant, lol! I don't mean that in a bad way, but you need a functioning brain to follow it methinks!I love that we're all islands shouting at each other. Pretty apt.

    Thanks for visiting my blog while I was in China! Obviously you're enjoying the A-Z.

    Denise :-)

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    1. The A TO Z was quite the challenge while I was at CyPhaCon! I envy you that trip to China!!

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  3. I am beginning to feel like I need a costume to partake in these posts. That is a good thing!! I want to jump into the scene - as an observer (not intelligent enough to join in - I only speak jabberwocky :)) Another fantastic post, Roland. I am in awe at your skill.

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    1. That's the great thing about Meilori's -- all time periods are represented -- you would fit right in. :-)

      And you are quite intelligent -- the first sign of a truly wise person is that they know they know their minds are still growing.

      Your praise made my morning! :-)

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  4. Among all of them they have the collective wisdom necessary for mankind to reach its potential. Of course, because they are human, they can't quite get it together and make that wisdom a cohesive understandable whole. It seems you're left with that job and doing it very well. I'm so enjoying these exchanges.

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    1. Thanks, Lee. I try hard to be both entertaining and thought-provoking at once. :-)

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  5. When Willy Dunne Wooters says something annoying, I think I'll faint. That'll show him.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. You could end up with bruises all over like that! :-)

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  6. Hi Roland - Kipling lived in times of many changes ... it'd be interesting to hear discussions between Kipling and Churchill - those I might understand ... Freud and Jung I fail on ... I expect if I spent time - I'd get there ... cheers to you - looks like you're getting some appreciative comments - Hilary

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  7. Mmm. Thoughtful.
    Twain, Jung, Freud and Kipling all sharing the platform...and you're 'in the mix' to steer the proceedings and keep them on track...they're fortunate to have you there, to put things into perspective, so to speak...

    It was great hanging out with you and a few others over at Samantha's place today!
    Writer In Transit

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