773 Quotes by Sigmund Freud

Our fascination with gold is related to the fantasies of early childhood.

It almost looks like analysis were the third of those ‘impossible’ professions in which one can be quite sure of unsatisfying results. The other two, much older-established, are the bringing up of children and the government of nations.

Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear will soon convince themselves that mortals cannot hide any secret.

My way of working was different years ago. I used to wait until an idea came to me. Now I go half-way to meet it, though I don’t know whether I find it any the quicker.

There is no likelihood of our being able to suppress humanity’s aggressive tendencies... Complete suppression of man’s aggressive tendencies is not an issue; what we may try is to direct it into a channel other than that of warfare.

Analysis does not set out to make pathological reactions impossible, but to give the patient’s ego freedom to decide one way or another.

Words have a magical power. They can bring either the greatest happiness or deepest despair; they can transfer knowledge from teacher to student; words enable the orator to sway his audience and dictate its decisions. Words are capable of arousing the strongest emotions and prompting all men’s actions.

The reproaches against science for not having yet solved the problems of the universe are exaggerated in an unjust and malicious manner; it has truly not had time enough yet for these great achievements. Science is very young – a human activity which developed late.

I always find the same principles confirmed: the elements formed into the dream are drawn from the entire mass of the dream-thoughts, and in its relation to the dream-thoughts each one of the elements seems to be determined many times over.