Martin Buber

oman has a phobia of bay-trees. As soon as she sees a cluster of bay-trees, she faints. The psychoanalyst discovers in her childhood a painful sexual incident connected with a laurel bush. Therefore, what will the emotion be in such a case? A phenomenon of refusal, of censure. Not of refusal of the bay-tree. A refusal to re-live the memory connected with the bay-tree.

emotion of active sadness in this case is therefore a magical comedy of impotence; the sick person resembles servants who, having brought thieves into their master’s home, have themselves tied up so that it can be clearly seen that they could not have prevented the theft

Freedom has to come from a purifying reflection or a total disappearance of the affecting situation.