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Balint chooses three headings as important criteria for the termination of analysis: 1. A firmly established genital primacy; the capacity to enjoy mature genitality. 2. The capacity for genital love, a complex fusion of genital satisfaction
and pregenital tenderness. 3. An ego which is strong enough to cope with tensions by (a) the use of alloplastic instead of autoplastic methods; (b) the acceptance of unpleasant ideas; (c) tolerating the sudden increase of excitement before and during orgasms; (d) maintaining a genital identification with the partner even in phases of temporary dissatisfaction.
Balint believes these are perfectionistic standards which are never completely fulfilled and therefore proposes another approach. He sets up the following questions. Is the analytical cure a 'natural' or an 'artificial' process? Does the analyst's task consist only of removing the obstacles created by the individual and society, after which the natural processes will take charge of the cure? He believes there are two divergent schools of thought among analysts on this subject. One group believes that health is a 'natural' equilibrium and therefore that termination is a 'natural' process. There is another group which believes that health and termination are the result of the interplay of so many forces, tendencies and influences that one is not justified in assuming any governing 'natural' processes. He believes the final answer to these questions must be postponed because of the meagerness of our knowledge of truly terminated cases. In his personal experience he has found that approximately two patients out of ten reached his perfectionistic goals. Many patients achieved only partial success at termination but afterward went on to achieve commendable results.
Balint then discusses this problem in relation to the training of analytic candidates. Here he finds that two sets of standards are at work. In one type of training school the candidate is considered hea