ABSTRACT
An obsessional neurotic patient—otherwise usually taciturn and hesitating in his associations—showed himself distinctly chatty at one interview. On having his attention drawn to this he acknowledged himself the unwontedness of his garrulity, excusing it, however, with his peculiar humour, as of course ‘silence is golden’. In connection with this idea I pointed out to him the symbolic identity of gold and filth, and told him that he was evidently in the habit of hoarding his words, as well as gold and filth, and that that day he was only accidentally in a prodigal mood. I moreover explained that his use of the notion that ‘silence is gold’ rendered the psycho-analytic interpretation of the proverb possible. Silence is ‘gold’ only because taciturnity in and for itself means a saving (in use). On this remark the patient broke into uncontrollable laughter and told me that that very same day he had—by exception—had a very copious action of the bowels, while usually—even if fairly regularly—he passed only small quantities. (The actual occasion for the expansiveness and prodigality was the sudden removal of an external compulsion; it became possible for him to forgo a journey that he would only very unwillingly have undertaken.)
