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Donald WinnicottBritish pediatrician and child psychoanalyst.
Date of Birth: 17.04.1896
Country: ![]() |
Content:
- Donald Winnicott: A Biography
- Transition Object
- False Self
- "Joy is to hide, and disaster is not to be found."
Donald Winnicott: A Biography
Donald Winnicott, a British pediatrician and child psychoanalyst, was one of the many specialists working with evacuated children during the Second World War. It was during this time that Winnicott became interested in the connection between the body and the mind, leading him to explore the analytical approach to understanding human behavior.

In the post-war years, society encouraged women to stay at home and care for their children, which aligned with the ideas of British psychoanalysts regarding the importance of a child's early years and the influence of the mother on their psychological development. Winnicott played a significant role in promoting these ideas through popular radio broadcasts, lectures, and informal meetings with educators, doctors, nurses, shelter workers, and even clergy members. He also published several books for parents and actively participated in the work of the British Psychoanalytical Society.

Winnicott was greatly influenced by the ideas of Melanie Klein, a prominent figure in child psychoanalysis who had moved to London in 1926. Klein was also the analyst of Winnicott's second wife, Claire. Furthermore, Winnicott spent four years analyzing Eric Klein, Melanie Klein's son. His goal was to create an environment during therapy that would allow a child's development to continue. For Winnicott, the focus was not on interpreting the client's play or thoughts, but rather on creating the conditions for insight to arise within the client themselves. He emphasized the analyst's right and duty to "not-know". It is worth noting that Winnicott could even fall asleep during therapy sessions.
Winnicott always maintained a critical stance towards the idealization of figures such as Melanie Klein or Anna Freud, Sigmund Freud's daughter and a fierce opponent of Klein. Throughout his work, Winnicott laid the groundwork for the development of object relations theory, and many of his ideas have become foundational in contemporary psychology.
One of Winnicott's fresh ideas was the concept of the "good enough mother." In a sea of books and advice for parents on "how to properly care for children," Winnicott's idea of a good enough mother stood out. Such a mother creates an environment for the infant to gradually develop autonomy. He would often say, "The best thing professionals can do is leave mothers alone." A caring and attentive mother who is good enough is all that is needed.
If you and your child are content with life but do not fulfill all the requirements of the "ideal mother" checklist, relax and continue to enjoy your relationship. It is likely that these requirements are not essential for your dyad (mother-child pair).
Transition Object
Do you remember your favorite childhood toy? The one you couldn't sleep or travel without, the one that accompanied you through thick and thin?
Many adults continue to keep their transitional objects throughout their lives.
Transitional objects emerge around the second or third year of life. For a period of time, the child becomes obsessed with the object, unable to sleep without it and always carrying it around. However, after some time, the child loses interest in the object. During periods of separation, such as in daycare or school, the transitional object regains its significance.
In general, the concept of transitional objects extends to the realm of transitional phenomena. Winnicott believed that all of culture is a transitional space. It is where the inner world of one person meets the external world of others. Artists, for example, infuse their personal emotional experiences into their paintings or stories or melodies, making those experiences accessible to others.
In France, there is even a special term for transitional objects – doudou. It refers to a soft toy of modest colors, small in size, and pleasant to the touch.
However, do not be surprised if a warm blanket or a plastic dinosaur can fulfill the role of a transitional object. It happens too.
False Self
When the conditions for a child's development do not allow the fulfillment of the True Self's growth needs, a supplementary structure emerges in the child's psyche called the False Self. The False Self responds to excessive demands from the environment, always reacting to external stimuli. The development of the True Self is put on hold, awaiting suitable conditions. Sometimes, it takes years before a person has the opportunity (e.g., in the therapist's office) to continue this fascinating journey.
Over time, individuals begin to exhibit a search activity. It is precisely when they are able to meet the demands of the environment that they feel alive. In healthy individuals, the False Self manifests in the acceptance of social rules, traditions, and external expectations. However, the desire to conform to these external demands is never the leading motive.
"Joy is to hide, and disaster is not to be found."
According to Adam Phillips, a researcher, Winnicott identified several levels of the False Self's presence:
1. When the False Self completely replaces the deeply hidden True Self, making it appear absent altogether.
2. The False Self protects the True Self, which is understood as potential and lives its secret life.
3. The primary concern of the False Self is to search for and maintain conditions in which the existence of the True Self is possible. The False Self defends the True Self from being unrecognized.
4. The False Self is presented as ordinary adaptive behavior in the form of "manners" and "upbringing." Simple politeness, where a person can differentiate between their personal life and public life without baring their soul, inherently assumes the existence of this hidden personal life.
The True Self does not have any gradations; it simply exists. Its characteristics are as follows:
1. The True Self is the beginning and the reason for an individual's ability to move from theory to spontaneous guesses and assumptions.
2. Only the True Self can be creative and experienced as genuine. It is the authentic source within an individual.
3. It is connected with the bodily sensation of being alive.
4. It stands at the beginning, generating activity rather than passively reacting to external stimuli. It is primary.
5. The True Self is the driving force and foundation of creativity.
It is worth mentioning that Winnicott never limited the scope of creativity to the ability to produce works of art. The ability to creatively experience each moment was seen by him as one of the main criteria for a person's mental health.
In contrast, Winnicott considered boredom as a manifestation of illness: "If someone comes to you and talks to you, and you, while listening to them, feel that they are extremely boring, then they are ill, and they need treatment."
To get acquainted with Winnicott, it is advisable to start with his book, translated into Russian as "The Family and Individual Development: Mother and Child."