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Cultural factors are important factors in the dynamics of intrapsychic and interpersonal conflicts; they also determine how people of a specific culture relate to the analyst. Listening carefully to what the patient has to say is very important—particularly when the analyst is not familiar with the cultural attitudes of the patient.
In this paper I shall discuss Greek cultural attitudes and how they affect the analytic work. Some of these cultural attitudes are typical of the Greek culture, others are more or less exaggerations and/or diminutions of common or “universal” attitudes of neurotic people in general.
Half of the world's Greek population lives in Greece, and the other half is spread unevenly throughout the world. It is commonly believed that no matter where you go you will find at least one Greek. The tenacity with which Greeks maintain their culture no matter where they are is characteristic. Often the fusion of the Greek culture with other cultures occurs harmoniously; often there are strong conflicts.
The history of the Greek culture—or Greece—goes back to 3,000 B.C. and continues through the classical era of ancient Greece, the Roman conquest, the Byzantine Empire, the Turkish occupation, and the Greek revolution for independence of 1821. Greece as a modern country has had about 150 years of political independence; Greece suffered for about 400 years under the Turkish regime after the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. At the same time, a small group of Greeks lived in prosperity in other European countries, having escaped the years of the occupation. The long history, tradition, and experiences with other cultures have created the deeply rooted love for freedom and independence; the notion, on the other hand, that as modern Greece is a small country it must depend on other strong powers is prevalent. The pride in the glory of the ancestors is sometimes used as a mobilizing force for improvement, and at other times as a justification for resigna