ABSTRACT
T O D A Y , i n the middle of the twentieth century, scientists and clinicians alike strive for mutual understanding. T o renounce dogmatic views and to abandon scientific isolation is the fashion of our time. Psychiatrists have moved out of the enclosing walls of mental institutions and have found a new field of activity i n the general hospitals of the community and i n private practice. The transformation of the former alienist in to a modern therapist and the change from static to dynamic principles necessitated a revision of psychiatric theories. Whi le , i n the past, theories of personality were concerned wi th one single individual , modern psychiatrists have come to the realization that such theories are of l i t t le use, because i t is necessary to see the indiv idual i n the context of a social situation. Our technical civilization has reduced the intellectual isolation of people to a m i n i m u m , and modern means of communication and transportation accelerate the dissemination of information to such an extent that i n the not too distant future we can expect that no individual or group w i l l be able to escape such influences for long.
