“A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them: they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world.”
- May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939
- Austrian
- Neurologist, Founder of Psychoanalysis
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Quote
“A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them: they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world.”
Explanation
In this quote, Freud advocates not for the eradication of psychological complexes, but for their understanding and integration. Complexes—such as unresolved feelings about family, authority, or identity—are central structures in the psyche, not mere pathologies to be destroyed. Freud suggests that rather than denying or repressing these internal dynamics, we should recognize them as part of ourselves, since they shape our behavior, choices, and emotional life in legitimate ways.
Freud’s psychoanalytic framework emphasized that complexes, like the Oedipus complex, emerge from unconscious conflicts, often rooted in early childhood. These inner tensions influence adult behavior, sometimes dysfunctionally. However, Freud believed that bringing these conflicts to consciousness—understanding their origin and function—can allow individuals to live with them constructively, rather than being dominated by them. This is a call for self-knowledge over self-purification.
In modern psychology, Freud’s view is echoed in approaches that emphasize acceptance and integration rather than suppression—such as Jungian analysis, Internal Family Systems therapy, and even aspects of mindfulness. People may never be free of all inner contradictions, but they can learn to live in harmony with their inner complexity, turning emotional conflict into a source of depth, creativity, and personal growth. Freud’s insight remains a powerful reminder that mental health is not perfection, but balance.
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