Affective Maturity

The author introduces his discussion with a phenomenological analysis of human emotion. Using affective memory as a key word, he proposes the following methodological approach. Affective memory introduces into one\u27s behaviour unresolved core conflicts of unresolved developmental tasks and thus causes infantile reactions. Affectively immature reactions are examined in three basic relations, namely toward peers, toward the opposite sex and toward authority. In regard to affectively immature reactions toward peers, the author recognizes them as paternalism and isolation. The underlying core conflict for paternalism is found in separation anxiety, whereas in isolation the core conflict is the lack of integration of the self-nonself differences. Toward the opposite sex the immature reaction is described as aggression and dissociation. In these reactions the author places the core conflict in the unresolved parent-child affective tie. Toward authority, two extreme reactions are discussed, aggression and extreme submission. The core conflict which could be responsible for them is the devaluation crisis. In this connection satellization is discussed. Also, the author gives some theoretical guide-lines toward the realization of affective maturity. He views maturity as the integration of past into the future-oriented present