The Curse: Human self-deception

The Curse: Human self-deception

Not sexuality, as Freud theorized, but the consciousness of death is the primary repression. Freud recognized the curse early and dedicated his life toward exposing it. However, he missed the correct scientific fact that was the source of the curse; this being the repression upon which society is constructed.

Becker theorizes that Freud's mistake is reveled in one key idea, which emerged in his later writings. "Death instinct" was introduced by Freud in "Beyond the Pleasure Principle". This theory was an attempt to patch up his libido theory, which he was very reluctant to reject. The death instinct was "a built in urge toward death as well as toward life". He theorized that the death instinct was an instinctive urge to die, which was redirected outward into the desire to kill. Wo/man defeats this instinct by killing others.

Psychology has rejected Freud's death instinct theory for a simpler one. Killing represents a symbolic solution that results from a fusion of animal anxiety with the death fear of the human animal. Rank says "the death fear of the ego is lessoned by the killing, the sacrifice, of the other; through the death of the other, one buys oneself free from the penalty of dying, of being killed."

Churchill said something to the effect that "there is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at and missed".

Quotes from "The Denial of Death"; Pulitzer Prize winner for nonfiction by Ernest Becker.