Karl MenningerMan Against Himself

Amazing book, just the way old school psychology books used to be. In depth, humorous, thought-provoking. It really makes you think about what motivates you, and others. Are you building up with the energies of eros, or tearing down with the destructive energies of thanatos? This book can make you aware, and aware of the fact that you can have a choice -- if you gain that awareness, and choose to move towards love of all kinds -- for yourself, an artform, a hobby, your family your friends. With this realization, you will never be the same.

Written now almost 80 years ago, "Man Against Himself" nonetheless remains a highly provocative and persuasively illuminating study of various self-destructive behaviors. In terms of deep understanding of unconscious motivations, our culture has actually regressed since then, so Menninger's probing insights can still seem startlingly original (and disturbing)--calling on us to rediscover the now-almost-forgotten potential of Freudian depth-psychology.

I have read this book a number of times over the last couple of years. There is much to contemplate about our inner selves and interactions in the world. This book allows insight into the human soul. Don't read this book if you are looking for the way the brain works or how to understand others through the DSM. Bruno Bettelheim once wrote that Freud was misunderstood because in America the soul has no meaning and that when Freud wrote "human soul" translaters translated it in english to the "mind" or the "brain" because they did not think that americans could understand the concept. This is an essentially Freudian book with a strong sense of humanism. I would also recommend that anyone interested read Bettelheim's "Freud and Man's Soul".

Brilliant, seminal work by a giant in mental health work and theory

From the view of one who is looking from Osho or since him, we come to realize the limitations imposed on us by society and by ourselves.

Karl Menninger was a psychiatrist who wrote this book in the 1930's. He goes in depth to explain the many motives and ways people had for committing suicide during his time. He was heavily influenced by Freud. Dr. Menninger is noted for explaining suicide in terms of one of three basic wishes: the wish to kill, the wish to be killed, and the wish to die. He agrees with Freud that humans have a death instinct. He also believes there is a life instinct that has equal and opposite influence over one's free will and that suicide prevails only when the life instinct is sufficiently weakened. He agrees with Freud that humans are all aggressive and have the potential for an early death if that aggression is turned inward in a setting of weakened support (or love.) His thoughts regarding alcoholism have been outdated by more modern scientific research, but they are still interesting. I certainly recommend the book for other psychiatrists, but it can be a source of consolation for anyone who is attempting to understand why someone may have chosen suicide.

I am an avid reader of history and the occasional self help book. That said this was uncharted territory. The only reason I read it was b/c Dale Carnegie makes mention of it in "How to Stop Worrying..."I had no trouble following the ideas and topics whatsoever. I highly recommend it in fact I will find more in this genre to read and perhaps stay w/ Menninger. I found it very insightful.

A must read book for all those engaged in human formation and counseling.

I had heard of this book, Man Against Himself, through another book while researching tourrettes syndrome. I had tried to purchase from many stores, but it was unavailable. Then one of my kids bought it for me on Amazon Books and gave it to me for Mother's day. I was thrilled and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was a great insight into why people do destructive things to themselves and put their lives at danger. Not just alcohol and drugs, it explained how living dangerously, playing dangerous sports and some other everyday things can also be self destructive behaviour. I have since bought other copies of this book because it is so good.I enjoyed reading it just before going to sleep. I highly recommend it for everyone. It is my one of my favourite books that I've read, and I have read many.

I bought this for myself...Condition fine. An enlightening book to read and ponder a little at a time. Highly recommend.

This is an excellent book on the self destructive phenomenon of suicide. The author of this book has discussed about it from different perspectives--psychological, philosophical, social and others.

I purchased "Man Against Himself" as a gift. I read the book in the mid 1970's, and I feel it was instrumental inmy recovery from depression and anxiety. It might not be as helpful to many readers as it was to me, but reading the book will enlighten all laymen to the frailty of the human mind when circuitry is confused by stress and anxiety.S.