The creator of psychoanalysis believed that the character of a person, the style of handling money and the work of his intestines are connected: stinginess and stubbornness correspond to a tendency to constipation and hemorrhoids, and spenders are prone to diarrhea and intestinal colic. Freud himself suffered from indigestion and abdominal pain, diarrhea alternated with constipation. What does this say about his relationship with finances?
It all started, as usual, with his father. Freud Sr. did not produce anything, he traded in wool, receiving a small percentage on the transaction. There was never enough money, the sons from the first marriage and brother Joseph helped.
I had to be shy, so as not to draw attention to the sources of income. In the Vienna Magistrate, he was listed as «unable to pay taxes.» After Joseph was put on trial for counterfeiting banknotes and went to hard labor, Sigmund wrote in his diary: «Father turned gray overnight.»
He himself liked to emphasize the poverty of the parental family. However, the family did not starve, dressed decently, in the summer went “to the country house” in the suburbs of Vienna and Switzerland, and often visited restaurants, where only Sigi was taken from all the children. He was special. His father did not spare money for his education.
In the future, Sigmund, despite the debts, never denied himself two main pleasures, buying books and expensive cigars.
He always gravitated toward scientific activity, which required free time from receiving patients and was accompanied by a lack of money. However, Freud was lucky with friends, teachers and patrons. The first was Josef Breuer, a talented neurologist with extensive practice, huge fees and ample time for scientific work.
He became Freud’s mentor, hosted him in his house, sent his rich clients to him, paid Freud his first apartment for many years, without demanding a return, and lent money. But twenty years later, Freud discovered that Breuer «was in the way of his professional development» and, to Breuer’s amazement, broke off all contact with him without explanation.
The habit of showing off was side by side with the desire to splurge. To participate in the exam for the title of Privatdozent, a tailcoat, a top hat, and white gloves were required. They are usually rented. But Freud ordered everything from the best Viennese tailor, despite the fact that he was entangled in debt.
Freud believed that the psychoanalyst was entitled to substantial fees. He remarks to Karl Abraham that in vain he takes too modest amounts from patients. At the same time, Freud always kept one or two free patients.
«The analyst does not pay attention to the fact that money should be considered primarily as a means to self-preservation and the acquisition of influence, but he argues that powerful sexual factors are involved in the valuation of money.» So the permission to openly express «repressed sexuality» was linked to the permission to spend (usually the money of the husbands or fathers of the clients). Perhaps Freud himself gave himself such permission.
Incomes grew, Freud, who loved ancient history, collected Greek antiques
But the year was 1938, and it became dangerous to stay in Vienna. Freud’s daughter Anna was released from the Gestapo only thanks to a bribe from the American diplomat Wylie. US Ambassador to France William Bullitt and Princess Marie Bonaparte (a patient and student) pay the Nazis a ransom and help Freud travel to London, where he lived for a year.
His ashes rest in an ancient vase depicting Dionysus receiving the gifts of Maenad. Symbolically. Contrary to tradition, Freud did not pay women — intoxicated with speeches about sexuality, they themselves brought money to the master.