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There are two main and rather disparate (although related) meanings of the word modesty. The first refers to what might be termed modesty in personal appearance, as for example, modesty in dress; the second meaning pertains to the size or amount of a substance or object, as for example, a modest sum of money. The common denominator psychologically of these two meanings is restricted exhibitionism.
This bit of linguistics became the object of attention as a result of a rather interesting resistance phenomenon which is the chief subject of this paper:
Mr. A. was a college professor who had entered analysis with the chief complaint of impotence of several years’ duration. His posture was stooped; his overall appearance best described by the term self-effacing. Analysis rapidly disclosed an oedipally derived conflict with pronounced unconscious passive feminine identification. Further and closer analytic scrutiny revealed a more decisive pre-oedipal basis for his psychic impotence which was structured along the following schematized lines:
Deep-seated, repressed masochistic attachment to the image of an orally refusing mother (this transferred on to his wife).
Guilt attached to the libidinal (masochistic pleasure) element in the repressed wish.
First unconscious defense—pseudo-aggressive fantasies of damaging wife (mother) sexually. His first dream in analysis represented coitus by his attacking a cement floor with a pickaxe. Of course there is an innuendo of his masochistic wish in the detail—‘cement floor’—a reference to his wife's unresponsiveness.
Guilt attached to first defense layer of pseudo-aggressive fantasies of damaging his wife.
Secondary defense containing symptom of sexual impotence. In being unable to have erection of penis, he denies damaging wife (he does nothing). Also his masochistic wish to be refused is refuted via the reversal: he refuses her (the erect penis). Meanwhile via identification with wife the masochistic wish to be refused is gratified. It shou