Psychology of the Scientist: XII. Neglect of Revolutionary Ideas in Psychology

Abstract

Radically new ideas typically meet with irrational opposition in all fields of thought, including science. As a result, progress is slowed down and some ideas need to be rediscovered before they become widely accepted. Two examples are cited from the recent psychological literature: an extensive review of the role of muscle tension in personality theory failed to acknowledge Wilhelm Reich's major contributions; and a study of the personality of cancer patients failed to credit Reich's earlier work, although almost identical conclusions were reached.