Man Against Himself

Rating:
Summary: the Best Starting Point
Review: Dr.Karl Menninger was Topeka(KS)-based psychoanalytic-psychiatrist and believed the Death-Instinct in the human. Therefore some readers may think this book, which is almost-perfect based upon the Death-Instinct theory, is nothing but the pessimistic. But we shouldn't forget a simple-but-hard fact that we ourselves live in the auto-pessimistic era;the post-9.11 terrorised era. In this realistic-and-therefore-neither-sentimental-nor-romantic book Dr Menninger teaches us that some people destroy themselves with using the others and therefore they NEED the others. Of couse,not everyone may believe his theory and,ultimately,not everyone needs to believe,but-or-still this book,I believe,is the best starting point of thinking about the human;ourselves.

Rating:
Summary: Even more essential than when it was written in the 1930s
Review: I recall smiling complacently (stupidly) at the old German saying: "I grew too soon old and too late smart." That's when I was young and "smart".

Then there was the one where the speaker recalled that when he was young his father was dumb. "It was amazing how much Dad learned by the time I was grown." I wasn't all that impressed with my dad's wisdom when I was a young punk. It was amazing how he wised up along with my growing up.

I was a corporate pilot when I first read "Man Against Himself". Karl Menninger's warning played itself out many times before my eyes as some of my businessmen passengers warred against themselves.

Want a deserved raise? Pick a day when the company stock just jumped 10%, or a good earnings statement is issued. Or ...

Gritted teeth and jutted jaws. Men against themselves stalk into the company president's office knowing in advance he's on a tear, a rampage, and demand a raise at the very WORST of moments. Sometimes they are fired. On other occasions they are earmarked for replacement. Not once have I ever seen a man get a raise on a day that the boss had Baker flying.

Why did they pick that day? "By God, I've sat here waiting for a raise all this time ..." I tried to caution a vice president once: "Jimmy, wait another day, another MONTH."

"No, by God, I've waited as long as I'm going to ..."

Nice knowing you, Jimmy. He was gone.

At some point I began to wonder -- just barely, and not seriously -- if it could happen that I would ever be a man against himself.

Yes, I had done so, and would do so again. "How," I once asked, and not idly, "did Menninger know me before I was born?" Men are just too alike for comfort.

Menninger describes that it can happen in ways that range from subtle to suicidal. Forewarned by Menninger's advice, we can do something about the phenomenon, pull a ripcord, don a life preserver, put on a gas mask ...

Do you know a good friend who is destroying himself? Give him this book, which he won't read. But then go over and discuss it with him. Friends divorcing? Perfect candidates for this book. They probably aren't in a mental state to read or understand it, but you tried. AND, it just might hit a vein in one of them.

The chances aren't much better than finding gold in the Klondike. But I've seen it work one time. Only once. But that once was worth a thousand tries.

Rating:
Summary: Even more essential than when it was written in the 1930s
Review: I recall smiling complacently (stupidly) at the old German saying: "I grew too soon old and too late smart." That's when I was young and "smart".

Then there was the one where the speaker recalled that when he was young his father was dumb. "It was amazing how much Dad learned by the time I was grown." I wasn't all that impressed with my dad's wisdom when I was a young punk. It was amazing how he wised up along with my growing up.

I was a corporate pilot when I first read "Man Against Himself". Karl Menninger's warning played itself out many times before my eyes as some of my businessmen passengers warred against themselves.

Want a deserved raise? Pick a day when the company stock just jumped 10%, or a good earnings statement is issued. Or ...

Gritted teeth and jutted jaws. Men against themselves stalk into the company president's office knowing in advance he's on a tear, a rampage, and demand a raise at the very WORST of moments. Sometimes they are fired. On other occasions they are earmarked for replacement. Not once have I ever seen a man get a raise on a day that the boss had Baker flying.

Why did they pick that day? "By God, I've sat here waiting for a raise all this time ..." I tried to caution a vice president once: "Jimmy, wait another day, another MONTH."

"No, by God, I've waited as long as I'm going to ..."

Nice knowing you, Jimmy. He was gone.

At some point I began to wonder -- just barely, and not seriously -- if it could happen that I would ever be a man against himself.

Yes, I had done so, and would do so again. "How," I once asked, and not idly, "did Menninger know me before I was born?" Men are just too alike for comfort.

Menninger describes that it can happen in ways that range from subtle to suicidal. Forewarned by Menninger's advice, we can do something about the phenomenon, pull a ripcord, don a life preserver, put on a gas mask ...

Do you know a good friend who is destroying himself? Give him this book, which he won't read. But then go over and discuss it with him. Friends divorcing? Perfect candidates for this book. They probably aren't in a mental state to read or understand it, but you tried. AND, it just might hit a vein in one of them.

The chances aren't much better than finding gold in the Klondike. But I've seen it work one time. Only once. But that once was worth a thousand tries.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Read - especially for you Freudian theorists
Review: Not exactly the place to start but for those interested in an easier read this is it. Karl Menninger is awfully Freudian but this becomes a bit of a page turner. Introspective, incredibly insightful and definitely worth the time and money. This is an essential for your collection. If you like this one you will love his "Love Against Hate" (but it may be out of print).

Rating:
Summary: Essential Read - especially for you Freudian theorists
Review: Not exactly the place to start but for those interested in an easier read this is it. Karl Menninger is awfully Freudian but this becomes a bit of a page turner. Introspective, incredibly insightful and definitely worth the time and money. This is an essential for your collection. If you like this one you will love his "Love Against Hate" (but it may be out of print).