Probably, Sigmund Freud is the most famous psychologist to have ever lived. His theories about the unconscious and libido may not be the most favourite among psychologists today, but no one would disagree to his claim on being one of the most influential figures in the field of psychology. If you have ever taken an introductory course on psychology, you know this person- for people who aren’t familiar, he is the one with the gigantic cigar and a cushy couch. His life has been documented in detail and psychologists in general are quite knowledgable about his life history. Here are some fascinating facts about the father of modern psychology, that you might have missed;
1. Sigmund Freud had a rare birth anomaly
Sigmund Freud was the first among the eight children of Jacob and Amalia Freud. He was given birth in the year 1856. And during his birth he had a piece of amniotic sac covered on his face (caul). Cauls are very rare- 1 in 80,000 births. However, it was no defect and was easily removed. But, it made his mother happy because in the Austrian culture, cauls were considered a sign of good luck.
2. He became a doctor for love
For people who don’t know, Sigmund Freud actually started his career as a physician. And what made him want to be a doctor? - there is no heartwarming story of kindness or passion behind this, rather it was a love story. When he was 26, he fell in love with a girl named Martha. At the time, Freud was working in a science lab. He knew that he couldn’t support a family with such low earnings. So he decided to attend the medical school at Vienna hospital. He spent three years in medical school and it was in September 1886 that he could finally marry the love of his life.
3. ‘The interpretation of Dreams’ was initially a commercial failure
‘The interpretation of Dreams’, which was published in the year 1900 is the most famous book penned by Sigmund Freud. Even though the contents are controversial to date, it has been one of the most read books on psychology world wide. However, this was not an overnight success. In fact, during the first six years after it was published, only 351 copies of the book were sold. The second edition was printed in 1909.
4. His Association with Hollywood
After the success of his books and acceptance of his ‘insane’ theories, he kind of became a celebrity. The world-renowned producer Samuel Goldwyn described him as the ‘greatest love specialist in the world’. He asked Freud to consult on love stories from history like ‘the Cleopatra’. However, Freud refused this offer in spite of a massive sum of 100,000 dollars involved. But, he is said to have once informally examined the actor Charlie Chaplin for a role.
5. He was nominated for the ‘Nobel prize’ 13 times
Freud was nominated for the Nobel prize for medicine 12 times and once for literature. However, he didn’t win any of them. He might have had a big following among the public, but his work was heavily criticised on the grounds of being unproven and unscientific.
