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During the analysis of a patient of the schizoid type belonging to the group described by Bally2 and Helene Deutsch2 I observed a mechanism which I propose to call pseudo-identification.
My patient used to avoid any difference of opinion with other people by immediately assimilating himself to the particular person with whom he happened to be talking. He considered that in so doing he had discovered the ideal way of adapting himself to reality. He deliberately refused to have an opinion of his own and accepted that of others with the utmost alacrity. He himself described his attitude as lacking in character, but he was proud of this lack. His point of view was that, as he only pretended to adopt other people's opinions and adhered to them only so long as he was with those same people, he was in fact a person of independence, and immune from attack.
Since I have only a short time at my disposal, I will without any further preface report a conversation which took place between the patient and myself during the first weeks of his analysis. I want to use this example to illustrate the conclusions which I was able to draw from others like it as the analysis went on.
The patient tried to turn the analytic hour into a friendly meeting and to this I responded with marked reserve. One day he suggested that he should introduce me to two friends of his, a man and a woman. I declined, giving as my reason that I must observe the technique of analysis. He did not appear offended, but replied as follows: 'I am sorry that you feel obliged because of this technical rule to forgo the pleasure of associating with such an interesting person as myself. I think it is very praiseworthy of you to make this sacrifice in my interest. I will return your kindness by looking you up after the analysis, when I no longer need your services.' I asked him if he were