ABSTRACT
The cowardice of the sexually impotent person is explained by the radiation over the whole individuality of the humiliating consciousness of such an imperfection. Sigmund Freud speaks very appositely of the "prefigurativeness of sexuality" for the rest of the psychical behaviour. The psychosexual impotence that is acquired after puberty also differs only apparently from that constellated by unconscious complexes. M. Steiner distinguishes, besides the cases of functional impotence that are determined by unconscious complexes of infantile origin, two other kinds of psychosexual inhibition; with one of these congenital sexual inferiority, with the other certain injurious influences acting after puberty, are to be regarded as the causative agents. The psychosexual impotence that is acquired after puberty also differs, only apparently from that constellated by unconscious complexes. Full comprehension of a case of psychosexual impotence is only thinkable with the help of Freud's psycho-analysis.
