Adam Phillips

Adam Phillips, a leading Freud expert, chats with Lisa Appignanesi, former Chair of the Freud Museum. They dive deep into writing Freud’s biography, tackling the challenges of capturing his complex identity and personal history. The discussion explores childhood trauma, Freud's transformative Parisian experiences, and the evolving dynamics of gender in early psychoanalysis. They also touch on the interplay between literature and psychoanalysis, revealing how works like Shakespeare's influenced Freud’s theories and practices.

Adam Phillips, practicing psychoanalyst and author, reflects on how we imagine and pursue the lives we want. He traces cultural shifts in consumerism and authority, the pull toward being told what to want, and how choice overload and omniscience undermine conversation. Short, provocative reflections range from pedagogy and resistance to pleasure, disappointment, and reconciling desires with reality.

In this engaging conversation, Adam Phillips, a distinguished British psychoanalytic psychotherapist and essayist, explores the often-overlooked value of giving up. He challenges the cultural idolization of perseverance, suggesting that sometimes, stepping back can be a creative act that allows personal growth. Phillips discusses the harmful effects of relentless duty on enjoyment and advocates for teaching children the wisdom of knowing when to persist versus when to quit. Ultimately, he emphasizes that giving up can lead to newfound freedom and self-discovery.

Renowned psychotherapist Adam Phillips discusses what we must give up to feel more alive. Topics include questioning the assumption of life worth, exploring self-criticism and the power of choosing who to be judged by, expanding language and rethinking loss, and the art of giving up and the pursuit of aliveness.

Lisa Appignanesi, a notable lecturer and author, shares her insights on grief and loss, inspired by her recent book. Adam Phillips, a practicing psychoanalyst, engages with her on the complex emotions surrounding mourning, including navigating anger and its societal influences. They discuss the role of childhood in shaping our emotional landscape and how personal experiences highlight the nuances of everyday madness. Through personal anecdotes and literary references, Appignanesi challenges traditional notions of grief, urging a deeper understanding of our emotional responses.

Psychoanalyst Adam Phillips delves into the complexities of giving up, exploring its intersection with desire, control, and the concept of the true self. He challenges societal assumptions, discussing the importance of knowing when to persevere and when to let go. The conversation also touches on relationships, dependencies, and the quest for meaning in a world of endless choices.

Psychoanalyst Adam Phillips discusses his new book 'On Giving Up', exploring topics such as the relation between literature and psychoanalysis, the ambiguity of 'giving up', addiction as a flight from pleasure, the influence of psychoanalysis on writing, narrow attention vs. wide attention, and the concept of the fascist state of mind.

A psychoanalyst and critic discuss the concept of giving up as a way to succeed. They explore the idea of knowing limitations as heroism, the consequences of persistence in famous literary characters, and the balance of discipline and creativity in writing.

Political philosopher John Gray, author of Straw Dogs, and psychoanalyst Adam Phillips, known for his literary work on desire and relationships, explore humanity’s longing to defeat death. They discuss Darwin, science’s promise of redemption, technological immortality, suicide and survival, happiness, cultural traditions, artistic ambition, and whether mortality gives life its shape.

Adam Phillips, British psychoanalyst, author, and former child psychotherapist, explores Freud’s formative years and the making of psychoanalysis. He discusses Freud’s Jewish outsider identity, ambition, and struggle with antisemitism. The conversation examines Wilhelm Fliess, archaeology, language, the unconscious, Freud’s cultural blind spots, and why psychoanalysis must keep evolving.