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The author seeks to elucidate the first origins and psychic foundations of activity as such. He describes the first forms of activity—i.e. uncoordinated motor and oral activity—which have their roots in the id-instincts and contain the first potentiality of inhibition and rejection of reality. The
clinical bearing of this proposition becomes apparent in the oral nature of such rejection as seen in various psycho-neurotic disturbances. A further contribution to the development of activity is made by primary narcissism. Future development is mainly regulated by the impact of reality on this narcissism, but at the same time inhibition of activity may very possibly result, such as manifests itself (especially) in various psychoneurotic abnormalities of character. This is the true basis of the characteristic reactions of the immature ego: discouragement, impatience, intolerance of tension and its whole peculiar relation to time. Illustrations from the analyses of schizoid characters.
The first stirrings of activity in relation to reality are destructive and negative. This is due to the conflict between the original 'omnipotence' and the resistance of reality and is borne out by clinical experience of different types of cases. Among recent analytic findings reference is here made to the analysis of depersonalization. This shews the importance of the destructive instinctual tendencies, which bring about a partial denial of reality, and at the same time a persistence of fixations in earlier phases of development, in which the full validity of external reality was not yet admitted.
These first inhibitions in the development of the relation of the ego to reality are the source of later idiosyncrasies of character and of the earliest inhibitions of activity. They may also be the starting-point of neurotic regression. Of special importance are the oscillation between narcissistic omnipotence and absolute powerlessness and also the equation of the subject's own thoug