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The schizoid maneuver is a psychological mechanism for overcoming a feeling of helplessness by means of a fantasy which denies the feeling. It is resorted to whenever a judgment of impotence in the face of an intolerable reality situation is arrived at. The maneuver 'is an attempt to distort mentally an unpalatable reality, whether external or internal, into something more acceptable'. Per se the schizoid maneuver is not pathological; it may be used legitimately in situations of real helplessness. It becomes pathological only when the judgment that one is unconditionally helpless is erroneous. An individual who regularly resorts to the schizoid maneuver as a means of dealing with life situations and interpersonal relationships may be labeled a schizoid character. The schizoid maneuver stands in contrast to transference: in the former a premature judgment of helplessness is arrived at, whereas in the latter there is a refusal to admit the existence of a state of helplessness expressed in the fantasy of being able to manipulate the analyst and in the attempt to gain mastery over the feeling of helplessness by repetition compulsion.