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Dr. Clark draws attention to the crudeness and short duration of affect in the epileptic. His narcissistic concern limits the wide range of his affective life, and his sensitivity limits the depth of emotional reaction. This lack of detailed variety and richness of the emotional nature of the epileptic is innate and a real part of his character long before the appearance of the epilepsy. There is a quantitative and qualitative defect in the instincts underlying the epileptic's emotional life. These instincts are more frequently perverted than arrested.
He further says that on a more intense analysis one finds the epileptic suffers from a defect of the adaptive instinct, and that his egocentricity or self-superiority is proportionately enlarged to meet this maladapted instinct. It is the disparity between the biologic defects of adaptive instincts at the core of the epileptic personality and the assumed genuineness of his narcissistic self-concern that cause such unfortunate social criticism. It seems clear from this that the author considers that epilepsy is the result of a biological defect which precludes the epileptic's adaptation to reality. His use of the term adaptive instinct is not in accordance with our present knowledge, for we have no evidence that such an instinct exists. The author says that the epileptic must be encouraged to break down his narcissistic wall of egoistic concern, and this in the first place by rooting out or building up his inferior instincts which breed a sense of inferiority.
In a case the author details he shows that the patient prefers his disease rather than give up his egoistic desires.
The article is useful as showing some of the psychological difficulties to be encountered in treating epileptics.