From what I’ve learned about Freud, I know that at times his ideas can seem bizarre or farfetched. I was skeptical going into this because I was expecting him to relate everything to something sexual. Knowing this, I was surprised at how straightforward Beyond the Pleasure Principle was. In Chapter 2, Freud goes into detail describing a game that he has decided to call “fort da.” While observing an eighteen month old boy named Ernst, Freud noticed that he would toss away a toy, say “o-o-o” and then shout “da” once the toy was back in his possession. Freud named this exchange “fort da” or “disappearance and return.” It also seemed important to note that the little boy was for the most part quite well-behaved and would be fine even when his mother left him alone for hours. However, Ernst’s game left a deep impression on Freud’s studies and shaped his pain/pleasure principle.
Was “fort da” the child’s way of coping with the disappearance and subsequent return of his mother? Or was the child trying to display his anger at being left alone by tossing away a toy but getting it back later? Freud ultimately came to the conclusion that Ernst’s game was something we all do: replaying painful memories as a way of understanding and coming to terms with it. It all ties in with his “pleasure/pain” ideas. Although contradictory, he found that people find satisfaction with repeating moments of discomfort. We gain pleasure by replaying or reproducing the pain of a particular moment in our lives because we know that the conclusion is good.
Like Plato’s “allegory of the cave,” Freud’s “fort da” is about development and maturation of the mind. However, Plato goes into more detail and lays out more steps of development than Freud. Both mention that our childhood subconsciously affects our adulthood. We can only appreciate the outdoors if we have spent time in the “shadows,” and we learn our basic coping skills from the games of pretend we play as children. Chapter 2 also tells us something about happiness. We don’t necessarily find joy in positive times alone. Sometimes, reflecting on instances in our lives that have angered, saddened or frightened us can also bring happiness. This is because self-reflection is a sign of positive progress and can show you have far you have come.
Although Freud’s idea of gaining pleasure from replaying painful moments sounds plausible, can’t reliving these moments result in wallowing and self-pity which only brings more pain?
– Elizabeth Kim
from Elizabeth Kim
