Letter from Ernest Jones to Sigmund Freud, February 8, 1911

8 February 1911
407 Brunswick Avenue
Toronto

Dear Professor Freud,

Thank you very much for your letter, which arrived two days ago. That was most unfortunate news about your son Martin. Please convey to him my condolences with most cordial wishes for a speedy and thorough recovery. The only consolation I find in such experiences is that they afford one an opportunity to read literature, novels, etc., which otherwise one reads with only a guilty conscience at stealing the time. I also most warmly hope that you yourself are again quite well. Though we must not overwork you, we cannot afford to have you lose any time at all by illness. Besides you have had enough of the hard things of life, and have fully earned a happier time for the future.

That was excellent news about Bleuler; it would be a thousand pities were we to lose such a prominent man, besides being a handle for our opponents. As you well put it to me once; “of what use is ψα if it cannot help us to overcome our personal complexes, and work together”. I got the Jahrbuch two days ago, and at once devoured Bleuler's article. (I had previously read your article and Rank's, both of which Rank kindly sent me last week.)1 It is certainly an excellent one, and very admirable in its generosity, honesty and moral courage. It is to be hoped that it will do some good. It provides further an interesting study of Bleuler's personality. I do not suppose my impressions are of any value, but I will give you a few which may perhaps amuse you. Most interesting is his constant dread of generalising, of “going too far”, which seems to be a wide-spread complex among scientific men. I sometimes think more harm is done by this fear than by the opposite tendency of too hasty generalisations. Of course it all depends on the man; some should never be allowed to generalise at all. But when a man has the judgement and capacity for it then it is fine when he also has the intellectual courage not to [be] afraid of doing it. One sees furthe