The Misleading Thermodynamic Theory of Being
“Modern psychology began to flourish at a time when the thermodynamics theory of heat and the theory of potential were finally put on a firm basis and clearly formulated by some of the most eminent scientists of that time. Thus, the idea that energy can neither be created nor destroyed became more or less common knowledge. Any educated person knew this, and it was quite natural to formulate the libido theory on the same lines, that is, to be analogous with the energy theory. Emotional energy could accumulate, be dammed up; and, as it could not be destroyed, either steam had to be let off or sublimation had to take place. The same background prevails today and some excellent authors, who now see quite clearly the fallacy in the libido analogy, inadvertently make the same mistake with other emotional manifestations — such as aggression.
The energy analogy does not hold good for emotional urges because there is no question of energy here, but of forms of action. Aggression is a form of behavior, not an energy. There is no such thing as dammed-up aggression that increases in pressure until the dam breaks down and aggression flows freely. There is no screen to aggression that contains it and allows its accumulation and there is nothing in the nervous system or in any other part of a man where aggression can accumulate.
In the same way, there can be no question of the sublimation of libidinal energy, because there is no accumulation of libido in the form of enegy. The sexual glands do not continue ot be active, and sperm is not continually formed if there is no sexual outlet. There is a self-regulating mechanism at work here, as in all glandular secretion. …
The personal experience of each individual does foster the development of certain feelings, faculties, and functions and excludes others. But there is no question here of binding up energy with the fostered functions out of a total available, so that there is no energy left for the others. …
We must beware of accepting the facile explanation of dammed-up emotional urges, because it suggests erroneous solutions, through which the learning of the proper use of self is neglected and no real change occurs. We think of insights, of becoming “conscious,” and of similar things as sufficient to make a breach in the dam and let the energy flow into the proper channels. But these only show us clearly which functions have been excluded form use to the point of remaining in an undeveloped state. And the sooner we get about furthering the apprenticeship the better.”
- Moshe Feldenkrais, The Potent Self, p. xiii
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