A text like this is the most opportune and will naturally more or less supersede all other introductions to the general subject of psychoanalysis.

To be sure, this much I may presume that you do know, namely, that psychoanalysis is a method of treating nervous patients medically.

We begin with an investigation, not with hypotheses.

We believe that we have now grasped the secret of a large number of slips of the tongue.

The use of the word unconscious as a suitable and intelligible descriptive epithet is above criticism.

The dreams we are looking for are found in children.

In this way we are tempted to interpret these silent dream elements ourselves, to undertake their translation by the means at hand.

We shall now attempt the same on a larger scale, by comparing the manifest dream content as a whole, with the latent dream which we found by interpretation.

We very recently subjected a number of dreams to interpretation, but left wish-fulfillment entirely out of consideration.

The attitude we prefer in them is one of benevolent scepticism.

I now no longer understand Janet's discussions, but I believe that he has needlessly deprived himself of high credit.

I said last time that we would not continue our work from the standpoint of our doubts, but on the basis of our results.

In order to progress in our understanding of the neuroses, we need new experiences and we are about to obtain two.

I am under the impression that I did not succeed in convincing you of the significance of perversions for our conception of sexuality.

For your comprehension of the neuroses it is necessary to keep in mind this connection between fixation and regression.

In the layman's eyes the symptom shows the nature of the disease, and cure means removal of symptoms.

The nature of the subject matter issues its own commands, and easily modifies our plans.

Fear itself needs no introduction; everyone has at some time or other known this sensation or, more precisely, this effect.

No one can contest our perfect justification in separating the ego from sexual instincts.

Direct suggestion is suggestion directed against the expression of the symptoms, a struggle between your authority and the motives of the disease.