A Psychoanalytic Contribution to the Study of Effort

Effort is defined by Webster as “the exertion of power—physical or mental—in performing an act or aiming at any object.” Dynamically considered, we can designate two forms of human effort. We can designate as reactive effort that which takes place as the result of some outside stimulus. We can designate as active effort that which arises within ourselves and expresses itself in growth, such growth or evolution being primarily determined by a force from behind rather than an attracting force. Effort arising from within can be thought of as self initiated effort that goes along with and reinforces the growth principle or forward going stream of life. To those who resist the vitalistic implications of this formulation it can be pointed out that all modern psychology, particularly Freudian psychology, accepts a vis-a-tergo as a basic dynamic principle.

One very broad dynamic differentiation of human effort then can be the following. There can be self-determined, active, “spontaneous” effort. On the other hand, there can be reflex, reactive, effort. Much, but not all of man's behaviour and characteristics are reflex and reactive. Put in other terms, much of character, much that is in conscious and unconscious behavior and in the habitual pattern of living represents the individual's reactive efforts to lessen or overcome his life's problems in order that healthy growth can proceed. Psychoanalysis aims to release energy from its involvement in neurotic and subversive conflicts within the individual so that true self expression can then take place to reinforce and contribute to healthy growth.

In the formative years, if a child is exposed to a hostile world, that is, exposed to factors that are detrimental to healthy growth, or deprived of factors that are essential for healthy growth, then he is driven to resort to many extreme and often conflicting ways to resolve his difficulties. If the hostility is very great, then all his energies are spent reactively rather than activ