The art of listening, by: Erich Fromm

Psychological analysis, as Freud sees in this book, is not just a means of therapy, but a means of understanding the self, meaning it is a means in the art of living, and this is the most important function that psychological analysis can have. The author prefers the term "art" over the term "technique" regarding psychoanalysis because the concept of psychoanalytic technique suffers from a flaw, as it seems to refer to something non-living, and therefore not applicable to humans. Psychoanalysis is the process of understanding the human mind, especially since that aspect is subconscious; it is an art like understanding poetry; the art of listening to oneself and to the souls of others. This book is not limited to providing psychoanalysts with a summary of Freud’s extensive experience in analysis and psychotherapy, but also offers the interested reader what helps him listen to himself and understand the psychological implications of his experiences, as well as change his behavior. It clarifies the importance of "focus" in the analysis process, and the possibility of liberation from anxiety, greed, and the greatest degree of narcissism, and the benefit of emotional empathy in understanding what others suffer. In this book, the reader sees where Freud’s and Freud’s opinions agree and where they differ, and what helps deepen his psychological understanding. In addition to the theoretical opinions on analysis that the book offers, it is supported by illustrative examples, enriched with case histories, and exudes a deep solidarity between the analyst and the analyzed, as well as the ability of the author, as psychologist Rainer Vonk says, for individual and independent perception of the fundamental problems of humans. Pages: 254