In this essay, I describe one of the most significant concepts in post-Freudian psychoanalysis; Melanie Klein’s paranoid-schizoid position. Having described it , I attempt to give it context and to consider its strengths, and also what limitations it has. I conclude that it is one of the most important post-Freudian…

In this essay, I shall describe repression and repression theory as an example of a fundamental concept in Freud’s work. For Freud, little was of greater import, it is the “cornerstone of our understanding of the neuroses”. In his Autobiographical Study, he called it “a novelty” and was clear that…

I had the very great fortune to get to know Jimmy quite well. He was still making huge television audiences laugh because, “it’s a funny ol’ game”, and beneath the jester, was a philosophical man, who knew that that phrase applied to life as much as it pertained to football. …

This week I drove down to Ascot to see my parents. My father shuffles more than walks nowadays; his deafness, once a ‘strategic tool’ according to my mother, now frustrates him; his irritation index is high and irritation arrives quicker than it once did. I have a number of feelings…

Is Harry met Sally the finest film ever? It is over thirty years since I first saw it, so I was ready to be disappointed and to learn that it did not deserve its place in my mental film ranking league table. Its misfortune is to be categorised as a…

I knew the music, of course. The extraordinary zither based theme. I knew the author of the novel, but I am slightly ashamed to admit that I had only ever read The Honorary Consul,of Graham Greene’s marvellous collection. BBC4’s i-player collection allowed me to finally introduce myself to The Third…

Does your work have meaning? Is it meaningful? And do you think those two things are the same or different? Who remembers Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs CEO, claiming his firm did “God’s work”? Does your work embrace something spiritual? I ask because I am starting the literature review for my…

Do you like to opine? I like to opine. Anne Frank said “People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn’t stop you from having your own opinion.” Opinions are tricky things. Generally, one might argue that they are good things. After all, a person short of…

I didn’t watch it. Did you? I have spent some of this morning noting the volume of social media and traditional media coverage of the Sussexes and Oprah, and wondering what it all means. Specifically, what does my disinterest mean? Some of my friends, and people for whom I have…