ABSTRACT
Nearly two decades ago, some ten or twelve psychoanalysts were having a postmeeting glass of wine and sharing the sort of trivia and gossip that they generally claim to detest. That New York evening, a senior and well-known analyst who had recently attended a paper presentation by me, declared that I was “very arrogant.” Unbeknown to him, one of the analysts engaged in this bonhomie was my friend and stood up in defense of me. “What exactly do you mean when you say that Salman is arrogant?” asked my friend of the old man. The latter responded by pointing out the effervescence, theatrical element, poetry, and spontaneity in the manner of my talking and to the fact that I never read from a written text or even refer to notes while delivering a paper. My friend took it all in and then said, “Look, that is his style. Don’t you know that he comes from some six to seven generations of great Urdu poets and it is their tradition to recite poetry by heart for hours? And, a bunch of his family is in Bollywood. So it is not surprising that he speaks like a poet and an actor. Please try to look beyond such stylistic matters. See that his papers always contain a thorough review of preexisting literature on the topic and incorporate insights from non-psychoanalytic sources as well. Even in informal conversations, Salman generously acknowledges his peers’ contributions and never fails to thank those who mentored, taught, and helped him. That is hardly arrogance, wouldn’t you say?”
