FRUSTRATED REBELS
PRESCRIPTION FOR REBELLION, by Robert Lindner; Victor Gollancz. English price, 16/-. T seems inevitable that all socteties, institutions and leaders must to some extent force the individual to toe the line. This restriction on what Dr. Lindner chooses to call the "instinct to rebel," he regards as a crime, and he is particularly upset by. the manner in which his professional colleagues aid and abet the guilty. He asserts that all psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, like priests and teachers, reiterate "Adjust to society," "You must conform.", They all want the ordinary man to have "the resignation of -a barnyard fowl." The attack on professional colleagues is enlivened by some grim case histories and succeeds admirably in ridiculing the mass of psychological bunkum now retailed widely in the States, bolstered by some irresponsible brain surgery and electric shock therapy. But the author, himself, a psychologist, is very uncom-promising-‘"Parenthood has come to amount to little more than a campaign against individuality," and he uses horrid words — "Propagandizement," "Proletarianization," "Utilizable," "Acculturated." There will be much support for his main thesis, for the pressure now
brought to bear upon the ordinary citizen to behave exactly like his neighbour is very heavy, and if successful must result in stagnation. However, the bashing that the non-conformer often receives will damage health sometimes, and if he just cannot take it he is surely welladvised to accept the world more as he finds it. The recipes for rearing happy rebels do not sound very convincing, especially as it is suggested that mating and reproduction be subjected to controls. This is a useful book to hand to those fainthearts who want to protest but can never deviate from the mass, however miserable it may make them to conform. It could well be studied, too,
by those unable to appreciate the dynamic value of a dissenting minority in their midst, and who delight in budgeoning anyone who speaks or acts differ-
ently.
T.O.
G.
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 732, 24 July 1953, Page 12
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325FRUSTRATED REBELS New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 732, 24 July 1953, Page 12
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