As the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud was responsible for mainstreaming the idea of a connection between mind and body, thought and action, conscious and subconscious. His ideas of the id, ego, and super ego attempted to explain all human behavior through our response to sexual urges, and while many of his psychological theories have proven incomplete, half true, and in some cases, completely false, his underlying philosophy inspired generations of new psychological inquiry and led to a popularization of a new vocabulary for talking about human behavior. Thanks to Freud one can 'repress' emotion, be 'anal retentive', have an 'oral fixation,' experience 'penis envy,' and suffer from an 'oedipal complex.' His professed goal was to find the scientific implications of everyday reality, and his endless interviews, research notes, and publications attest to the value he placed on individual human experience.
No person forgets to carry out actions that seem important to himself without exposing himself to the suspicion of being a sufferer from mental weakness.
Patrick Madden's New Book
Quotidiana site founder Patrick Madden has just published a book of his own personal essays, including pieces formerly published in the Best American Spiritual Writing and Best Creative Nonfiction anthologies.
If you enjoy the classical essays on this site, you'll enjoy these contemporary ruminations as well. Soon there'll be a web page here with further information, but for now, you can find out more (and perhaps purchase a copy) at Amazon.com.
"Patrick Madden is an essayist of verve, passion, wit, and dependable moral compass. Quotidiana drew me in powerfully, from page to page and from pleasure to pleasure." —Ian Frazier
2011 Symposium on the Essay
Friend of Quotidiana Kim Dana Kupperman's Welcome Table Press is hosting a one-day symposium at Fordham University on Saturday, October 15th, 2011.
In Praise of the Essay: Practice & Form will feature talks and discussions by Phillip Lopate, Robin Hemley, Barbara Hurd, and more.
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