Summary of Tom Butler-Bowdon's 50 Psychology Classics

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The second most important figure in the Vienna circle was Alfred Adler, who founded individual psychology. He was a plain-looking man who had grown up on the city’s outskirts. While Freud was a patrician type who had come from a highly educated background, Adler was the working-class son of a grain merchant.

#2 Adler believed that the human psyche is shaped in early childhood, and that patterns of behavior remain remarkably constant into adulthood. He believed that every child develops in ways that best allow them to compensate for their weakness.

#3 Adler’s theory is that our psyche is not formed out of hereditary factors but social influences. When the first force, social feeling and community expectation, is ignored or affronted, the person will reveal certain aggressive character traits: vanity, ambition, envy, jealousy, or greed.

#4 The most important psychological function a person will ever master is adaptation to the community. People may outwardly achieve much, but in the absence of this vital adaptation, they may feel like nothing and be perceived as such by those close to them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822513099

IRB Media

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Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The second most important figure in the Vienna circle was Alfred Adler, who founded individual psychology. He was a plain-looking man who had grown up on the city’s outskirts. While Freud was a patrician type who had come from a highly educated background, Adler was the working-class son of a grain merchant.

#2

Adler believed that the human psyche is shaped in early childhood, and that patterns of behavior remain remarkably constant into adulthood. He believed that every child develops in ways that best allow them to compensate for their weakness.

#3

Adler’s theory is that our psyche is not formed out of hereditary factors but social influences. When the first force, social feeling and community expectation, is ignored or affronted, the person will reveal certain aggressive character traits: vanity, ambition, envy, jealousy, or greed.

#4

The most important psychological function a person will ever master is adaptation to the community. People may outwardly achieve much, but in the absence of this vital adaptation, they may feel like nothing and be perceived as such by those close to them.

#5

Adler believed that individuals are always striving toward a goal. The psyche is not static but must be galvanized behind a purpose, and it constantly moves toward fulfillment of that.

#6

Adler’s work on human nature is a prime example of how a psychologist can help us understand ourselves and our surroundings. He believed that the work of understanding human nature should not be the preserve of psychologists alone, but a vital task for everyone given the bad consequences of ignorance.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The book outlines real-life stories of people who became victims, or almost became victims, of violence. It explains how fear is a gift that may protect us from harm.

#2

Our instincts are a reliable source of protection against danger. We often ignore them, thinking that the police and criminal justice system will protect us, but often by the time we involve the authorities, it is too late.

#3

de Becker debunked the idea that there is a criminal mind separate from the rest of us. He said that we are all capable of criminal thoughts and actions, and that the resource of violence is in everyone.

#4

There are four elements to the violence equation: justification, alternatives, consequences, and ability. The police are looking for the motive behind the violence, but de Becker and his team look deeper to find the history of violence or violent intent that usually precedes the act.

#5

The features of predatory criminals include recklessness and bravado, as well as a warped view of the world. They are usually weirdly calm in conflict, and they need to be in control.

#6

The Gift of Fear is a fascinating book when de Becker is discussing public figures who are his clients and stalkers’ attempts to get close to them. He believes that all of us want recognition, glory, and significance to some extent, and in killing someone famous, stalkers themselves become famous.

#7

The Gift of Fear is a book that was written within the American cultural context of rampant gun use and a society that places less emphasis on social cohesion than others. It explains the signs of violence and how to avoid it.

Insights from Chapter 3

#1

In 1961, psychiatrist Eric Berne published a book with a very boring title, Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy. It became the foundation work in its field, was much referenced, and was a reasonable seller. Three years later, he published a sequel with a more colloquial feel, Games People Play, which became popular.

#2

The stroke is the fundamental unit of social action. An exchange of strokes is a transaction, and the term transactional analysis was coined to describe the dynamics of social interaction.

#3

We all play games, and most of the time we are not aware we are doing so. Games are like playing poker: we hide our real motivations as part of a strategy to achieve a payoff. In the work environment, the payoff may be getting the deal.

#4

Berne believed that within each person are three selves or ego states that