Symbiosis and separation are key concepts in the psychoanalytic theory of socialization. Within the present framework of a general theory of relationships, which is buttressed by manifold examples drawn from daily life and from therapy, these two concepts designate polarities of social conduct. The capacities for regression and autonomy condition each other; each move toward separation presupposes an emotional backing, that is, a closeness. Between the fear of regressive fusion or the relapse into a dependency already mastered and the fear of the loss of love, there is a 'safety zone' in which closeness and distance coincide. Tendencies toward independence are especially threatened in the areas of achievement and sexuality.