Yet when Freud's ideas became accepted, he and his followers showed no greater tolerance; in fact, they ostracized and attacked those who challenged any part of his theory. Karen Horney, for example, challenged Freud's view of women as being driven by penis envy. She believed, too, that neurosis is caused not only by frustrated sexual drives but also by various cultural conflicts and that people's behavior is not only determined by instinctual drives but can in many instances be self-directed and modified. For these theories (today widely accepted), she was rewarded with rebuke and ostracism by the Freudian dogmatists.
To overcome either variety of bias toward change, monitor your reac-
tion to new ideas. Don't be surprised if you strongly favor or oppose an
idea the first time you encounter it. However, refuse to endorse your first
impression uncritically. Instead, suspend judgment until you have exam-
fined the idea carefully. If the idea proves insightful and well substantiated, accept it regardless of its oldness or newness; if it is flawed, reject it.
尽管弗洛伊德的观点最终被接受了,他和他的追随者并没有展示出更多的宽容。事实上,他们排斥并攻击那些曾挑战过他们任何一部分理论的人。比如说,卡伦·霍妮质疑弗洛伊德提出的女性受阴茎嫉妒的驱使的观点。她相信,神经衰弱症不仅是挫败的两性关系导致的,而且还受不断变化的文化冲突影响。另外,人们的行为不仅取决于本能驱使,还有很多自我指导和修正的例子。由于这些理论(如今已被广泛接受),她曾受到弗洛伊德独断论的责难和排斥。
为了克服这两种对待变化的偏见,观察你对新观点的反应。不要对在你邂逅一种新观点时表现出强烈的赞叹或反对而感到惊讶。不要武断的支持你的第一印象,而是在你仔细的考察这个新观点后在作出决断。只要这个观点被证明是真实的且具有充分证据,那就无论它的新旧,无条件的接受它;若它有缺陷,就拒绝它。