fei75766_ch06_179-205.indd 185  02/06/20 11:32 AM
Chapter 6    Horney: Psychoanalytic Social Theory185
discipline. Such conditions provide them withfeelings ofsafety andsatisfaction and
permit them togrow inaccordance withtheirrealself.
Unfortunately, amultitude ofadverse influences mayinterfere withthese favor -
ableconditions. Primary among these istheparents’ inability orunwillingness tolove
theirchild. Because oftheirownneurotic needs, parents often dominate, neglect, 
overprotect, reject, oroverindulge. Ifparents donotsatisfy thechild’s needs forsafety 
andsatisfaction, thechild develops feelings ofbasic hostility toward theparents. How -
ever, children seldom overtly express thishostility asrage; instead, theyrepress their
hostility toward theirparents andhavenoawareness ofit.Repressed hostility then
leads toprofound feelings ofinsecurity andavague sense ofapprehension. Thiscon-
dition iscalled basic anxiety, which Horney (1950) defined as“afeeling ofbeing 
isolated andhelpless inaworld conceived aspotentially hostile” (p.18).Earlier, she
gaveamore graphic description, calling basic anxiety “afeeling ofbeing small, insig-
nificant, helpless, deserted, endangered, inaworld thatisouttoabuse, cheat, attack, 
humiliate, betray, envy” (Horney, 1937, p.92).
Horney (1937, p.75)believed thatbasic hostility andbasic anxiety are
“inextricably interwoven.” Hostile impulses aretheprincipal source ofbasic anxiety, 
butbasic anxiety canalsocontribute tofeelings ofhostility. Asanexample ofhow
basic hostility canleadtoanxiety, Horney (1937) wrote about ayoung manwith
repressed hostility whowent onahiking tripinthemountains withayoung woman 
withwhom hewasdeeply inlove.Hisrepressed hostility, however, alsoledhimto
become jealous ofthewoman. While walking onadangerous mountain pass, the
young mansuddenly suffered asevere “anxiety attack” intheform ofrapid heart rate
andheavy breathing. Theanxiety resulted from aseemingly inappropriate butcon-
scious impulse topush theyoung woman overtheedgeofthemountain pass.
Inthiscase, basic hostility ledtosevere anxiety, butanxiety andfearcanalso
leadtostrong feelings ofhostility. Children whofeelthreatened bytheirparents 
develop areactive hostility indefense ofthatthreat. Thisreactive hostility, inturn, 
maycreate additional anxiety, thuscompleting theinteractive circle between hostil -
ityandanxiety. Horney (1937) contended that“itdoesnotmatter whether anxiety 
orhostility hasbeen theprimary factor” (p.74).Theimportant point isthattheir
reciprocal influence mayintensify aneurosis without aperson’s experiencing any
additional outside conflict.
Basic anxiety itself isnotaneurosis, but“itisthenutritive soiloutofwhich 
adefinite neurosis maydevelop atanytime” (Horney, 1937, p.89).Basic anxiety 
isconstant andunrelenting, needing noparticular stimulus suchastaking atestin
school orgiving aspeech. Itpermeates allrelationships withothers andleads to
unhealthy ways oftrying tocope withpeople.
Although shelateramended herlistofdefenses against basic anxiety, Horney 
(1937) originally identified fourgeneral ways thatpeople protect themselves against 
thisfeeling ofbeing alone inapotentially hostile world. Thefirstisaffection, astrat-
egythatdoesnotalways leadtoauthentic love.Intheirsearch foraffection, some 
people maytrytopurchase lovewithself-effacing compliance, material goods, or
sexual favors.
Thesecond protective device issubmissiveness. Neurotics maysubmit them -
selves either topeople ortoinstitutions suchasanorganization orareligion. 
Neurotics whosubmit toanother person often dosoinorder togainaffection.Final PDF to printer