TOW #18- On Transience by Sigmund Freud

            Transience is any given fact or state that lasts for only a limited amount of time. Transience could be exemplified in a tree’s beauty when snow coats its branches, or in a country such as Austria. Sigmund Freud, father of psychoanalysis, applied his scientific knowledge to his own country’s suffering in his essay, “On Transience”. Freud alludes to his own scientific theory and implements a personal anecdote to convince his fellow Austrians that they can rise up again.

            Freud implements a personal anecdote as he speaks of an instance in which an acquaintance of his showed a negative reaction at the idea of trees loosing their beauty in the winter. Freud tells Austrians that; “My conversation with the poet took place in the summer before the war.” Explaining the occasion of them walking in the park, Freud is able to give validity to his scientific information though his own experience and tie science into real life and the nature of the war. Additionally, he is able to connect himself to the community through this experience, and thus connect himself to his audience.

            Scientific theory is implemented in order to give relevance to Freud’s beliefs about the country’s recovery. Psychological terms and theories, which Freud developed himself, assist in establishing a logical reasoning and thus convincing his audience that what he believes is in fact true.  Freud tells his fellow citizens that, “When it has renounced everything that has been lost, then it has consumed itself, and our libido is once more free (in so far as we are still young and active) to replace the lost objects by fresh ones equally or still more precious.” As the entire country and community are in mourning, a topic that Freud discusses, they are not likely to immediately see the light at the end of the tunnel. By using psychological theory and diction, Freud is able to make his fellow people see the possibilities by giving a sort of scientific proof that they are there. Through this, his audience is able to grasp that theoretically, their rise from the ashes is inevitable.

            Freud, a man who was primarily a psychologist, wrote this essay to convince Austrians that they could rise up again after a devastating war. Implementing his own scientific theory and a personal anecdote, he succeeds in achieving that endeavor.

Sigmund Freud: Father of Psychology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freud_family

Source of Essay: http://www.freuds-requiem.com/transience.html