Anthony Bruck's Remembrances of Adler

The following are excerpts from "Alfred Adler, As I Remember Him" by Anthony Bruck (1901-1979), a professor of Adlerian Psychology, school consultant, and master of Adlerian brief therapy, who was trained by Alfred Adler.

"My Psychology Belongs to Everyone"

I was present in New York when one of Adler's pupils, a young physician, stated that the Medical Society of his nearby state was willing to adopt Adler's teachings as their exclusive psychiatric tool, if he would limit his teaching only to physicians. Adler answered that he could not do so because, "My psychology belongs to everyone."

Sophia de Vries told me about another similar statement by Adler. When Dutch pupils in the early 1930's asked him who would carry on his teachings when he could no longer do so, he answered, with his usual simplicity: "Wer es Brann" (Those who are able to). He again did not limit the use of his psychology to physicians or any other closed circle.

Adler and Plagiarism

Somewhere around 1927 a column appeared in a large New York daily paper that demonstrated a good understanding of Adler's teachings, but did not mention his name. I excitedly told Adler about this but he took it very calmly, saying in German: "Er hat mich halt vorgeahnt" (He has foreknown me, it seems). He was just as calm about it as I was excited in his defense.

Adler and the English Language

The English translator of Adler asked him if he could translate "Gemeinschaftsgefuehl" as social interest. Adler said yes, but many of his pupils, including myself, have found the translation not an equivalent but only a pale rendering of the German term which correctly translated means: "feeling of community," a much stronger term expressing psychological closeness.

(End of Excerpt)

(To read the complete document, as well as a biographical sketch of Bruck, visit the "Biographies" section at web site http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hstein/ )

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