The only trouble with Jule Nydes, whom I consider one of my most gifted former students, is that it is difficult to get him to the point of actually publishing his often brilliant ideas. It took three-and-a-half years of unflagging encouragement until he finally completed the paper here presented. It continues a line of research that I only vaguely anticipated in my book, Masochism in Modern Man , and penetrates virginal land of psychopathological exploration. That long time of preparation has been only beneficial to the contribution, whose lucidity of formulation and surprising insight will be recognized by every reader having a true interest in psychological problems.

Theodor Reik