16th November 1961.

My dear Bion,

I want to let you know how much I value the work you are doing and presenting to us in your papers on thinking. Like a lot of other people, I find them difficult, but extremely important. At the next meeting when your paper is discussed I may find I want to say something.

I am trying to work out the relationship between your statement and the effort I made to account for the intellectual processes as a means employed by the baby for lessening the narcissistic wound of the reality principle by understanding in localised ways the reasons for the mother's failure to adapt immediately and completely.

I know that your statement does contain something new to me and vitally important and it is this that I am trying to work out. Naturally I start from my own language in the same way that you start from yours.

Thanking you again,

Yours,