THE VALUE OF LIFE (Interview given by Freud to journalist George Viereck in 1926) Freud on the subject of neoplasia in the jaw: "I hate my mechanical jaw, because fighting with the device consumes so much precious energy. But I prefer it to no jaw at all." . I still prefer existence to extinction." "Seventy years have taught me to accept life with serene humility." (Interrogated about pessimism) "I'm not a pessimist. I don't allow any philosophical reflection to spoil my enjoyment of simple things. I had enough to eat. I enjoyed many things – the company of my wife, my children, the sunset . I watched the plants grow in the spring. Every now and then I had a friendly hand to shake. Every now and then I met a human being who almost understood me. What more could I want?" (On self-knowledge) "Certainly. The psychoanalyst must constantly analyze himself. By analyzing ourselves, we are better able to analyze others. Others unload their sins on him. He must practice his art to perfection to untangle them. from the burden thrown upon him." (On analysis and understanding the world) Analysis teaches us not only what we can endure, but also what we can avoid. It tells us what should be eliminated. Tolerance of evil is by no means a corollary of knowledge. What objection can there be against animals? I prefer the company of animals to human company... Because they are so much simpler. They do not suffer from a split personality, from the disintegration of the ego, which results from man's attempt to adapt to civilization standards(). It is the result of the conflict between our instincts and our culture.