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fe had he confronted patients who refused to acknowledge what was happening in their lives? Even trivial ''317'' examples…a man; another professor at the university; who was terrified of elevators but who steadfastly insisted he always took the stairs because it was good exercise。 The man would climb fifteen…story buildings; he would decline appointments in taller buildings; he arranged his entire life to acmodate a problem he would not admit he had。 The problem remained concealed from him until he finally had a heart attack。 Or the woman who was exhausted from years of caring for her disturbed daughter; she gave her daughter a bottle of sleeping pills because she said the girl needed a rest; the girl mitted suicide。 Or the novice sailor who cheerfully packed his family off on a sailing excursion to Catalina in a gale; nearly killing them all。
Dozens of examples came to mind。 It was a psychological truism; this blindness about self。 Did he imagine that he was immune? Three years ago; there had been a minor scandal when one of the assistant professors in the Psychology Department had mitted suicide; sticking a gun in his mouth over the Labor Day weekend。 There had been headlines for that one: 〃PSYCH PROF KILLS SELF; Colleagues Express Surprise; Say Deceased Was 'Always Happy。' 〃
The dean of the faculty; embarrassed in his fund…raising; had berated Norman about that incident; but the difficult truth was that psychology had severe limitations。 Even with professional knowledge and the best of intentions; there remained an enormous amount you never knew about your closest friends; your colleagues; your wives and husbands and children。
And your ignorance about yourself was even greater than that。 Self…awareness was the most difficult of all。 Few peopl