Lost and Found in Translation

Similarly to other psychoanalytic authors, Kets de Vries referred to “Freud’s dictum that the ‘normal’ personality should possess the ability to love and work … ” (2016, 70).

A dictum: a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle. Nevertheless, this particular “dictum” seems not to have ever been created by Freud — in fact, it may have never existed as such. And yet, throughout the years, it has become a fairly popular psychoanalytic slogan.

In 1950, Erik H. Erikson wrote:

Freud was once asked what he thought a normal person should be able to do well. The questioner probably expected a complicated, “deep” answer. But Freud simply said, “Lieben und Arbeiten” (“to love and to work”). It pays to ponder on this simple formula; it grows deeper as you think about it. For when Freud said “love,” he meant the generosity of intimacy as well as genital love … ” (Erikson, 1950 (1993), 229).

It is not known whether that particular imaginary scene ever took place. However, many psychoanalytic authors, academic teachers and others, while admitting that they could not find a bibliographic reference to this “quotation” from Freud, have enthusiastically referred to this “simple formula” in their writings. Erikson’s suggestion became a source of “wisdom”. At times, it was quoted in the popular press.

In the late 70s, I asked Jill Duncan, a former Librarian at the London Institute of Psychoanalysis, to help me to search for this quotation. Recently, I found amongst my papers a note from her, which I had forgotten having. After a laborious search, Jill discovered a paper by Leo Rangell, who wrote:

Asked once to name the most essential ingredients for mental health, Freud responded with his famous brief communication, “ … the capacity for achievement and enjoyment” (Leistung und Genuss). Through a series of loose translations this has been watered down and is now often referred to as “to work and to love” … (a) popularised and corrupt version … ” (Rangell, 1963, JAPA, p. 50