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28 May 1911
Vienna IX, Berggasse 19
56F
Prof Dr. Freud
Dear Dr. Binswanger,
It is without doubt a friend's job to stand up to the gloomy thoughts that creep up on an ageing man and send them packing. Nor do I complain. Most of the time I, too, believe that I have started something that will keep people occupied in perpetuity; sometimes I am filled with deep dissatisfaction about the extent and depth of its influence and faint doubts about the future arise. In truth there is nothing for which man's disposition befits him less than occupying himself with psychoanalysis.
The Moors come from an old joke, well known to us, in which psychoanalysis is called an impossible task.1 And not without some justification, once we rise above the level recognised by internal medicine. I often console myself with the thought that if we accomplish so little therapeutically, at least we learn why it is not possible to accomplish more. Our therapy strikes me as being the only rational one in this sense.
I still have 6 weeks of the most arduous toil ahead of me before I can go to Karlsbad. As you know, the Congress will be held on 21-22 September and it is fairly certain that I shall spend the week after that in Zurich. So I shall be able to stop off in Constance then and see your family.2 I am delighted to hear that you are all well and that you are satisfied with your assistant. Is it true what I hear about Stockmayer3 joining you? He seems to be a less problematical character than his half-namesake4 from Jena.
Your contributions to the Zentralblatt5 will be highly welcome. I am now busy trying to get rid of Adler so as to be left with Stekel alone. I shall have much more influence on the paper then.
With kind regards,
Yours, Freud