Resistance and the Sense of Self

THE MAIN DIFFICULTY WITH THE CONCEPT of resistance is the application of this term, which, in a general way, refers to undeniable

truths about human motivation, to a much more specific, hypothesized process in psychoanalysis. The word carries a host of connotations from its more general English usage that tend to stay with it when applied to psychoanalysis. This migration of meaning from one frame of reference to another may carry unwarranted implications for the psychoanalytic construct, and may also lend it a false validity. No one with any power of observation has any reason to doubt the prevalence of human intransigence. Saddam Hussein offers an example on a global scale. People resist all kinds of things, a second cookie, or sitting down to prepare a paper such as this one. We resist external influences and forces, and we resist ourselves. The term readily acquires moral connotations. The French Resistance was heroic, as is all resistance of tyranny. But resisting authority, or resisting the law is likely to be frowned upon. When we resist ourselves, it is often viewed as good or as bad. Resisting the temptation of the second cookie can make us feel morally upstanding, while resisting the task of preparing the paper can make us feel a little ashamed. And our resistance of ourselves can be life long. William Jackson Bate (1975), in his biography of Samuel Johnson, comments on Johnson's lifelong struggle to develop self-discipline in his work habits and to rise early. He cites repeated diary entries setting forth new resolutions to rise early, with references to past resolutions broken, that cover the period from the age of twenty seven to the age of seventy one, a forty three year span.

All patients are resistant, some much more than others. Some clinician