Re: Tension and Anxiety

Your comments about focus of attention are generally relevant to some consciously formed objectives. Movement toward an unconscious fictional final goal may also create tension or anxiety. However, these symptoms are generally correlated with a subjective sense of growing distance from the compensatory goal and a potential drop into dreaded inferiority. In this case, tension and anxiety are means of staying on track without a conscious awareness of a direction.

In many cases, individuals pursue an unconscious fictional goal without common sense. Images, feelings and emotions provide the compass and steam power. Dreams are good examples of this dynamic.

For an elaboration of Adler's views on tension read page 224, and on the function of anxiety read pages 303-4, in "The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler," edited by Heinz and Rowena Ansbacher.

Replies:

Re: Tension and Anxiety, by Jenny Block, 10/21/99 Re: Tension and Anxiety, by Henry Stein, 10/27/99

| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |

Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.