Manga Story

Ms. Aisyah walked slowly between the desks. “One of Freud’s followers, Carl Jung, disagreed with him.” “What did he change?” Mei Ling asked. “Jung said the unconscious isn’t just personal,” she explained. “He believed in a collective unconscious.” The class looked confused. “It means,” she continued, “humans share universal memories and symbols — called archetypes.” “Like heroes? Mothers? Villains?” Amir asked. “Exactly!” she smiled. “Jung moved beyond just sexual instincts and focused on shared human experiences.”Ms. Aisyah erased the board and wrote in big letters: INFERIORITY “Alfred Adler believed people are driven by the need to overcome feelings of inferiority.” “Not hidden desires?” Farah asked. “No. He believed we strive for superiority — to improve ourselves.” She continued, “He also created birth order theory.” “Firstborns?” someone whispered. “Yes. Firstborns may become overachievers. Middle children competitive. Youngest children may feel less responsible.” “But is it proven?” Amir asked. Ms. Aisyah smiled knowingly. “Research shows birth order has very little effect on personality. But Adler’s idea about striving for improvement remains influential.”The class was now fully awake. “Karen Horney strongly disagreed with Freud’s ideas about women,” Ms. Aisyah said firmly. “She replaced ‘penis envy’ with something different.” The class shifted awkwardly. “She argued that what truly matters is basic anxiety.” “What’s that?” Mei Ling asked. “It’s the anxiety children feel when they are small in a big, powerful world.” She showed a photo of a child sitting alone at a beach. “Children cope with anxiety in different ways — by moving toward people, against people, or away from people.” “So personality comes from insecurity?” Farah asked. “Partly. Horney believed poor childhood security leads to unhealthy relationship patterns.”Finally, Ms. Aisyah wrote: Life Span Development “Erik Erikson agreed with Freud that childhood matters,” she said, “but he believed development continues throughout life.” “Not just childhood?” Amir asked. “No. Erikson created eight psychosocial stages — from infancy to old age.” She drew a timeline across the board. “Each stage involves a social conflict. Trust vs mistrust. Identity vs role confusion. And so on.” “So it’s more social than sexual?” Mei Ling asked. “Exactly.”Ms. Aisyah leaned against her desk. “So what did the Neo-Freudians do?” Silence. Then Amir spoke carefully. “They kept Freud’s idea of the unconscious… but focused more on social relationships?” Ms. Aisyah beamed. “Yes. They moved away from sexual instincts and emphasized culture, relationships, anxiety, personal growth, and lifelong development.” The bell rang loudly. As the students packed their bags, Farah whispered, “Poor Freud. Everyone changed his theory.” Ms. Aisyah laughed softly. “That’s how psychology grows.” She erased the board slowly, leaving only one word behind: Evolution.