The word Freud is most often associated with Sigmund, the famous psychologist who created psychoanalysis. However, his youngest daughter, Anna Freud, was also an influential psychologist who had a great impact on psychoanalysis, psychotherapy and child psychology.

In this article we will see small fragments of the author’s thought from a selection of sentences by Anna Freud .

Best of Anna Freud’s quotes

In the course of her life, Anna Freud uttered or wrote many reflections that have remained for history. In this article you can find a collection of her best phrases.

1. When parents’ feelings are ineffective or too ambivalent or when mother’s emotions are temporarily compromised elsewhere, children feel lost

We often have a habit of blaming children for all ills. The education of the parents is behind their behaviour.

2. Laziness may seem attractive, but work gives satisfaction

Work is synonymous with health, especially if you do what you like best.

3. They can shut us up, but they can’t stop us from having our own opinions

Society tries to shape our thinking, although we can think and criticize independently.

4. Sex is something you do. Sexuality is something you are

His father, Sigmund Freud, is the creator of psychoanalysis, and one of its main components is psychosexual theory.

5. When error becomes collective it acquires the force of a truth

Whether it is true or not, cultural thinking has a great influence on the way people think, and few are able to question it even when it is wrong.

6. How wonderful it is that no one needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world

We can all do our bit to change the world if we want to. One of Anna Freud’s phrases with more social content.

7. We live trapped, between the past that is scrambled and examined and a future that awaits our work

The past exerts a great influence on us and largely conditions our life if we do not remedy it.

8. A first visit to an asylum is always a shock

Visiting an insane asylum can have a strong impact on many people.

9. If something doesn’t satisfy you, don’t be surprised. We call that life

People are nonconformists by nature.

10. That one should live without being able to judge oneself, criticize what one has achieved, and still enjoy what one does, is unimaginable to me

There are people who deceive themselves to avoid having to face reality.

11. Sometimes the most beautiful thing is precisely that which comes unexpectedly and undeservedly, therefore, something truly given as a present

Expectations that are too high can lead to frustration. On the other hand, when something comes as a surprise, it can make us very happy.

12. Not wanting us brings many problems

Loving oneself is very beneficial for our well-being and for our self-esteem .

13. Everyone says in a surprised way that I have grown up … they are so stupid and don’t realize that I am only standing

A quote from Anna Freud with a touch of humor.

14. A collective fault does not have the same dimensions as an individual fault

When many people are wrong, less bad seems the failure.

15. What I’ve always wanted for myself is much more primitive. It’s probably nothing more than the affection of the people I’m in contact with, and their good opinion of me

A sentence by Anna Freud that invites deep reflection.

16. In our dreams we can cook eggs exactly as we want them, but we can’t eat them

Dreams are not something real and therefore we cannot live on them.

17. I am lucky not to have children

Anna Freud didn’t have any children. She married Ely Bernays , the brother of Sigmund Freud’s wife, Martha Bernays, and had four daughters.

18. I am no longer afraid to say nothing

A quote that refers to the fear of being silent.

19. How can one know everything about people?

People can’t know everything in this life. There’s always room to learn.

20. Things are not as we would like them to be. There is only one way to deal with it: try to be good to yourself

Acceptance is key to emotional well-being, so we must learn to accept disappointment.

21. Sigmund Freud continually emphasized how much remains unexplained. With the other psychoanalytic writers, everything is always fixed and known

Anna Freud praising her father and emphasizing how humble he was in recognizing that he still had a lot to learn.

22. Sigmund Freud always made it clear that he would like to know that I am much more rational and lucid than the girls and women he meets during his hours as a psychoanalyst

A reference to the expectations Anna’s father had of her.

23. The experience has made me learn a lot about this life

Experience is one of the best ways to learn. It is what is known as experiential learning .

24. I’ve been looking outside myself to find the strength and confidence but these come from within. They have always been there.

A way of saying that self-confidence comes from within.

25. We are only aware of the empty space in the forest, which yesterday was full of trees

Many times we find it hard to look inside, but it’s easy to look outside.

26. If I have a stupid day, everything seems wrong

Everything goes wrong when we have a negative mentality . It makes us look at the world in a pessimistic way.

27. I do not see the misery that is there, but the beauty that remains

One way of saying it’s better to see the glass half full than half empty.

28. Children usually don’t blame themselves for being lost. They are the adults

Even as adults, there are things we can still learn from the little ones.

29. Everything becomes so problematic because of basic failures: because of dissatisfaction with myself

When you are not right with who you are, problems may arise in your life.

30. My different personalities leave me alone right now

A date with a touch of irony. It means that people can behave in different ways depending on the situation.

31. Why do we act as if everything were friendship and trustworthiness when basically everything everywhere is full of sudden hatred and ugliness?

It’s good to see the bright side of things, but you also have to keep your feet on the ground and be realistic.

32. I was lucky enough to be thrown suddenly into reality

Reality has to be looked at head on, because if we don’t run the risk of suffering more than we should because of frustration .

33. Sometimes I think I am a great actress

In relation to how people can adapt to the different environments they are presented with,

34. Who promised you that there was only pleasure and enjoyment in this life?

Life is full of good times and bad times. To think that it will always be a bed of roses is a mistake.

35. The person I have learned the most from is my father

A phrase that makes clear reference to Sigmund Freud, his father and teacher.

36. Many things become a problem because of the way we are

Our way of being and interpreting events can make life difficult.

37. A person can feel lonely, even when many people love her

A person with low self-esteem can feel truly alone.

38. Creative minds are known to be able to survive any kind of bad training

There are lies that have been worked so hard that they look like the truth.

39. Sometimes the most beautiful thing is precisely what comes unexpectedly and does not derive from the work

Working can be beautiful when we are passionate about our work . But outside of work a lot of good things happen too.

40. He who is happy makes others happy too

When someone feels good about themselves, they may make others feel good about themselves.