Art and Antique Dealer and travelling Argentina, Chile and Uruguay: Freud in Heaven here in Argentina

Freud in Heaven here in Argentina
Topic: Argentina

When our country was giving its first steps as a new Nation, Freud was also doing so.

Born in May 6th, 1856, the forefather of Psychoanalysis is celebrating the 150 anniversary of his birth. Worldly famous for his theories on psychoanalysis and therapy, Mr. Sigmund leaves no one indifferent. Lovers and detractors from around the planet find in this occasion as an excuse to further a debate that has long walked along with the practice of the analysis of the psyche.
In some way the world has divided upon this. Argentina can be described as the Freudian heaven with its incredibly high acceptance of the theory and large number of psychologists… Recent statistics point out a more than 600 Argentine per psychologist relationship… While in the US, conductive psychology, Jung and psychiatrists are the rule. May be Woody Allen is the exception to prove us right.
This man who invented the Oedipus complex was born 150 years ago in Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. According to his biographers, it was when he was training to be a doctor when he stumbled upon the theories of hypnosis and hysteria that were to lead him into a study of the human mind that would shake the foundations of Western thought. It's hard to believe now that there was ever a time when we didn't believe that childhood experience had a powerful effect on our adult life, that our dreams were mirrors of the psyche, that slips of the tongue are revealing, or that everything, ultimately, was about sex. Freud’s geniality lays not on the fact that he could come up with those ideas –that as a matter of fact were already in vogue when he was young- but on the fact that he was the first to formulate them into a coherent system of thought. He has been the leading intellectual force during the 20th century and nothing seems to be threatening this throne…
Perceived more like a climate of opinion rather than a single wise man, Freud has transcended Freud, to become the quintessence of modern ages.
The world of the individual, the ideas, and the self is better understood thanks to him.

It a complex discussion that only specialists can address, whether he was a right or wrong… However, as Argentines we cannot let this special occasion slip our minds and words.
We Argentines are very Psychoanalyst fond. "Everybody jokes that the taxi drivers in Argentina read Freud, and they do”, everybody does…
Tons of works trying to find out the reasons of this phenomenon have resulted in no good answer. Hence in this case conjectures can bring some light to it. The singularity of this situation in our perspective can be traced back to a simultaneous origin as we express on the article’s title. When Freud was being born, our Nation was doing so too. While Argentina got its independence in 1810, it wasn’t till mid 19th century when it found its way thru as the country we know these days. In between, there were regional pushes, civil wars, confrontations, different projects of Nations that were being debated simultaneously. Finally between 1852 and 1862, Argentina finds its own path. Argentina develops and growths together with Freud. And when our country is finally mature enough, so is Freud.
In this immigrant’s nation, wholesome of individualities that needed to find their way thru a new place and world of significances, the aid of psychoanalysis would greatly be appreciated.
No clear answers have arose regarding this matter, however, may be they are not needed… It’s just the way we are, like our mate, tango, grilling passion for meat and Latinized European feel of belonging to the world’s southernmost country.

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