I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested
I have a psych class this semester and our personality project was to analyze a character from two different psychological personality theories and then make our case for which was better. Given that Dean is a proper mess, I chose him. I had a lot of fun writing it and thought I'd post it here. I'd love to hear any other opinions on it. I did refer to hunting as a generic 'bounty hunter' job in order to avoid the whole supernatural psychosis dilemma. ;)
Dean Winchester is a 29 year old male who works as a bounty hunter. When he was 4 years old, his mother died violently in a fire. Dean was in the house at the time of the fire. His father and infant brother also survived and made up Dean’s only family framework. His father, a former Marine, also worked as a bounty hunter and frequently left Dean alone. As such, Dean became the primary caretaker for his brother, Sam, within a year of their mother’s death which isolated him from other children his age. Dean’s father used an authoritarian parenting style with his children and expected Dean to live up to his expectations and follow orders without question. Dean developed a high sense of responsibility for his brother and a moderately high need for control in any given situation, including controlling access and concealing information, as well as a generalized mistrust of others.
As an adult, Dean exhibits a very low sense of self-worth and believes his own life and actions to be less important than that of his brother, reflected both in action and in commentary about his family. Their father died two years ago while saving Dean’s life, which has further contributed to Dean’s feelings of inadequacy. Dean makes frequent use of sarcasm and humor to deflect questions about his feelings and well-being. Dean spent his life working closely with his father. When his father was unexpectedly absent for some time, Dean approached Sam and convinced him to drop out of law school in order to partner with him to find their father. Dean has previously worked alone but shows a marked tendency not to do so. Growing up, there was some competition between the brothers for their father’s attention. Sam violently disagreed with their father’s job and parenting style, which led to Sam’s departure from the family and a separate life at college, during which time Sam had limited contact with his father and brother. Despite having vastly more experience in their profession, Dean will frequently defer to Sam’s opinion. At the same time, Dean has no problem hiding information from Sam in the belief that he is protecting Sam.
Sam had a near-death experience last year which prompted Dean to sacrifice his own health. He has a terminal illness and is expected not to survive more than 12 months. These actions are in keeping with Dean’s attitude toward his family, which is to say that he will sacrifice anything and everything for them. He has shown little to no remorse in using violence to protect those he feels need protecting, including killing those who pose an imminent threat. Dean seems to value loyalty above everything else, to the point of near obsession and inability to apply logic. His sense of right and wrong do not match up closely with the law and he has no compunctions about breaking the law to accomplish his goals. Dean has an affinity for mechanics and works well with tools, engines, and schematics. He has complete confidence in his ability to utilize those skills and to generally ‘fix’ things, mechanical or otherwise. He frequently served as a peacemaker between his brother and father.
In terms of social interaction, Dean is promiscuous, excessively flirtatious, and physically aggressive. He presents a self-assured front, arrogant and convinced of his own charm. He is unwilling or unable to maintain intimate relationships with women and frequently uses female or ‘feminine’ terms in a derogatory manner, or as ascribing attributes of weakness. Dean’s father, also a bounty hunter, exposed his children to weapons and hand-to-hand combat at an early age. Physical violence with other men is as much a part of Dean’s life as his flirtatious behavior with women, and is a frequent method of solving problems or disputes. He remains a bounty hunter primarily due to a continuing sense of responsibility to his father and, as a lesser drive, a feeling that he is contributing to the greater good. His choices in media consumption run to heavy metal and classic rock music, crime drama and action films. He appears to overeat with a fair amount of regularity and frequently over-indulges in alcohol, and often chews on pens or pencils. Dean’s only close relationships are with his brother and a family friend who has served as a sort of father-figure since their father’s death.
Dean’s mother’s death occurred toward the end of Freud’s anal stage, which is characterized by a contest of wills between the child and parents. His mother’s sudden death and the resulting upheaval in the family caused further confusion and conflict in his relationship with his father, leading to characteristics of an anal personality and complicating resolution of the Oedipal complex. The trauma of his mother’s loss may have caused regression to oral tendencies and leading to a slight oral fixation, as evidenced by the tendency to overeat and drink too much. And, according to Freud, Dean’s occupation, consistent willingness to put himself in harm’s way, and aggressive behavior would indicate that perhaps his death instinct is stronger than it should be. His ego clearly overwhelms his id, except in the socially acceptable outlets of sexual promiscuity and physical aggression in his chosen line of work. Given Dean’s overall lack of concern with legalities and social norms with regard to his actions, the superego is functioning within Dean’s own set of rights and wrongs but not exerting pressure from a greater societal standpoint.
Without a mother, Dean was unable to successfully resolve the Oedipal stage of development. He had the memory of his mother and his parents’ relationship, but no actual female to serve as a focal point for emerging sexual tension. Due to his mother’s death and his father’s absences, Dean was forced into the role of ‘mother’ to his sibling, which created a different kind of conflict. His father was still a rival and the person Dean had to measure up to, but any concern that Dean would be punished for being interested in ‘mother’ was replaced by a fear of punishment if should harm come to his brother, Sam. As a result, Dean over-identified with his father as an idealized example of how to be a good father or good man. Dean also lacked the normative regulation and socialization provided by a school environment, which caused problems in the phallic stage, contributing to his current dysfunction in relationships with the opposite sex. His father did not remarry nor did he have any lasting intimate female relationships. Following his father’s example, Dean sublimates his underlying need for approval and intimacy (a need increasingly unmet since his father’s death) with work and sexual contact. For Dean, sexual interaction has nothing to do with intimacy or love and is simply a means to an end. According to Ryckman, a majority of Dean’s characteristics can be traced to abnormal or incomplete resolution of the anal and phallic stages of development.
Anal personalities are the result of a battle for power with the parents. Dean’s father was demanding and authoritarian. Given little to no opportunity for input and control in his day to day existence instilled Dean with a deep-seated stubbornness and persistence. Contrary to Freud’s postulation, however, Dean submitted to his father’s control entirely. In fact, Dean continued to work with his father and follow his directives as an adult. When separated from his father, working with Sam, Dean showed a consistent pattern of deferring to what he thought their father would do even though he took on the role of ‘leader.’ Upon reuniting with their father, Dean immediately reverted to the role of a (largely) unquestioning soldier following his father’s orders, even when he did not like it. With his father in the picture, Dean’s role because setting the good example for Sam rather than taking charge. Instead of becoming defiant, Dean became overly conscientious - particularly about Sam’s safety, to the detriment of his own - and single-minded in pursuit of his goals. Dean is a perfectionist about his work and possessive of his car but otherwise deviates from the anal personality in a need for precision, frugality, and routine. It is difficult to determine to what extent Dean is a phallic personality. He exhibits typical traits: recklessness when it comes to his personal safety or rash behavior, self-assurance in his job and with women, excessive pride in his accomplishments, vanity, and courage (Ryckman, p. 50-51) but many of these characteristics could be seen as a performance, or presentation to the outside, in order to cover his feelings of perceived inadequacy.
The deviations from ‘standard’ anal personality characteristics are explained by Dean’s dependent personality type. Ryckman presented the components (as cited from Bornstein) for dependent personality development as having:
1) a motivational component; that is, a powerful need for support and approval from others, 2) a cognitive component; that is, a perception of oneself as powerless and ineffectual, 3) an affective component; that is, a tendency to become anxious when required to function autonomously, and 4) a behavioral component; that is, a use of self-presentational strategies to strengthen ties to potential caregivers. (Bornstein, p. 82)
Dean clearly demonstrates a need for support and approval from his father. His self-perception is clearly altered by the presence of his father. While he remains confident in his abilities to get things done, he plainly sees himself as less effectual than his father. Dean’s deference to his brother could be viewed as an attempt to strengthen their ties. In his father’s absence, Dean was unwilling, if not unable, to work on his own for an extended period of time. Instead, he contacted Sam and convinced him to disrupt his own plans for the future in order to help Dean accomplish his goal of finding their father. Dean’s dependence is unhealthy, especially because he has great difficulty admitting that he might need help or support, let alone asking for it outright. He is still able to assert himself independently, act as needed to get the job done, and cultivate help through his self-deprecating humor and self-professed “charm.” Dean shows a pronounced tendency to rationalize any decisions he makes which others may disagree with or with which he may be ultimately unsatisfied (e.g. convincing Sam to leave law school, sacrificing himself for his brother, getting them both into compromising/dangerous situations).
According to Horney, Dean is a hypercompetitive. Dean fits the classic definition in terms of competing to enhance his self image, striving for superiority, exhibitionism designed to attract attention, and regarding people with distrust. He has the aforementioned tendencies toward arrogance and aggression, using sarcasm to deride others (Ryckman, p. 143). While Dean was not physically or verbally abused by his parents, he was ultimately left feeling powerless after the death of his mother and his father’s absenteeism. While hypercompetitives want success, power, recognition, and admiration from society, Dean is only interested in the approval of his family. His sense of self-importance is tied directly to his usefulness to his father and brother, and tightly wrapped in his continuation of the family business. Mistrust of others is prominent in Dean’s interactions with non-family members but he is lacking an indiscriminate need to win at all costs. Dean’s competition is focused in the scope of his work and his family and he still exercises his own morality in the process, frequently sacrificing himself for others. His sexual interactions, while not intimate, are not based on subduing or humiliating partners. Rather, his ability to obtain partners at will is what bolsters his sense of self-worth.
Because of Dean’s upbringing, he represents both primary and secondary psychopathic characteristics. He shows the primary tendency to lie when it suits him and lacks remorse under many situations where it would be considered abnormal. His morality, while unique to himself and his family, makes him far from morally barren and introduce the secondary characteristics of guilt. He lacks a tendency toward irrational beliefs but experiences doubt about his successes. His mistrust creates distance from others, problems in romantic relationships, conflict, and jealousy. Dean’s goals are murky, at best. He knows he wants to carry on the family business, largely because he feels it is his responsibility to do so, but has a marked absence of future goals and plans for himself.
Basic anxiety developed for Dean after his mother’s death. The loss of one parent, forced responsibility to take care of his brother, and authoritarian regime of his remaining parent caused severe upheaval and undermined Dean’s self-esteem while at the same time reinforcing his self-reliance. He developed feelings of inadequacy with regard to his father but at the same time had to establish an ability to care for himself and his brother. The conflicting messages created by that situation created defensive attitudes to counter Dean’s underlying neurotic needs.
Dean clearly exhibits the neurotic need for affection and approval from others. He is overly sensitive to criticism from his father and brother, does not express wishes but is comfortable expressing needs for work, and is uncomfortable asking for favors. In contrast to Horney’s assertions, Dean has no problem with saying no, except to family members. When Dean agrees to something which he is unhappy about or does not agree with, he finds a way to rationalize the choice rather than feel guilty. Dean does not present a neurotic need for a partner. While he clearly prefers not to work alone, he has no interest in finding someone who will simply take over for him and his general mistrust of others would disallow that. Dean also lacks a neurotic need to restrict his life. While he gives more credence to family members and allows them to strongly influence his choices, he has no difficulty asserting himself in most situations.
The neurotic need for power is a closer fit to Dean’s behaviors. He has a tendency to avoid situations where he might have to request help or let someone else take charge entirely. He has an entrenched sense that he should be in control at all times, run any given situation and direct his relationship outcomes. Dean used guilt, in no small part, to convince Sam to drop out of school and join him in the hunt for their father, while at the same time lauding Sam’s ability to make his own way and earn his own success. Dean wants to be right all the time. He also prizes self-control, frequently referring to Sam as a ‘bitch’ if he wants to discuss feelings or emotional state. Dean has not exhibited any neurotic needs to exploit others or achieve social recognition and prestige. While Dean covets recognition from his family members, he has little to no concern for recognition from society as a whole or status in any sense.
With regard to the more “detached” neurotic needs, Dean does not have a need for personal admiration. He has a healthy image that he presents to others and to his job, but has not developed an idealized image of himself which he is pursuing or believes to be real. No neurotic need exists for him to attain lofty personal achievements. He is moderately satisfied in the job which he currently does, but has not formulated any other future goals or plans to work toward. He presents some of the neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence, an unwillingness to express his feelings and avoiding long-term obligations, but does not have a neurotic need for perfection or unassailability.
Given that the neurotic need for power appears to be dominant in Dean’s behaviors, he could be classified as an aggressive type. The complicated nature of his need for approval, and the focus of that need almost entirely around his family, supports aggression as his dominant neurotic trend. That theory, however, is complicated by Dean’s unwillingness to succeed at any cost and a reluctance to put others down simply to make himself look better. Dean only feels better if he actually is better than the other person and he is not willing to cheat to get that end result. His need to achieve paternal approval means gaining that approval on his father’s terms - fair and square. Further stress is exerted in that Dean does not ever feel ‘better’ than his father or brother and, regardless of his actions, rarely feels worthy of approval.
While both Freud and Horney’s theories explain key components of Dean’s behavior - need for control, low sense of self worth, and dependence - Freud’s stage theory accounts more fully for the formation of Dean’s actions. Using Horney’s neurotic needs, Dean’s behavior appears to be almost evenly driven by compliance and aggression, while deviating significantly from both. Horney’s definition of basic need is also not entirely accurate in Dean’s case, given that it assumes an active abuse or neglect by the parents. Dean’s feelings of isolation and anxiety stem as much from the death of his mother as from his father’s reaction to it. Despite handling his own grief poorly and forcing Dean into early responsibility, Dean’s father was not knowingly abusive or neglectful. In fact, he clearly cared deeply for his children (as evidenced by his willingness to risk his life for them) and Dean felt loved and protected as a child. Dean developed a strong personal sense of morality and is as tempered by guilt as anyone else, which also undermines the application of Horney’s theories regarding psychopathic characteristics. Horney’s theories do not provide an adequate justification for what are, in some cases, large behavioral departures from her theory or simply inaccurate definitions as applied to Dean.
Freud, in contrast, offers both stage and personality theories to explain not only Dean’s behaviors but also those behaviors which seem to deviate from the theoretical ‘norm.’ Dependent personality theory accounts for Dean’s willingness to capitulate to his father, rather than rebel against him as characteristics of the anal personality would indicate. Research into dependent personalities proves out Dean’s ability to play an active and independent role, even with these underlying drives (Ryckman, p.56). Freud’s discourse on life and death instincts also provides insight into what seem, at times, to be contradictory behaviors from Dean. Dean’s libido is strongly evident and has been embraced and encouraged with Dean’s choice of profession and social outlet. At the same time, his death instinct is equally pronounced and leads to conflict for Dean and for those around him. His drive to get the job done and help people in the process is tempered by his willingness to put himself in danger, and therefore risking failure at his job. This trend toward self-sacrifice was a source of tension between Dean and his father, and continues to cause difficulty between Dean and his brother. Though both Freud and Horney are able to address the abnormal development in Dean’s personality, Freud’s theories provide a more comprehensive and, as a result, more accurate look at Dean’s psyche.
Dean Winchester is a 29 year old male who works as a bounty hunter. When he was 4 years old, his mother died violently in a fire. Dean was in the house at the time of the fire. His father and infant brother also survived and made up Dean’s only family framework. His father, a former Marine, also worked as a bounty hunter and frequently left Dean alone. As such, Dean became the primary caretaker for his brother, Sam, within a year of their mother’s death which isolated him from other children his age. Dean’s father used an authoritarian parenting style with his children and expected Dean to live up to his expectations and follow orders without question. Dean developed a high sense of responsibility for his brother and a moderately high need for control in any given situation, including controlling access and concealing information, as well as a generalized mistrust of others.
As an adult, Dean exhibits a very low sense of self-worth and believes his own life and actions to be less important than that of his brother, reflected both in action and in commentary about his family. Their father died two years ago while saving Dean’s life, which has further contributed to Dean’s feelings of inadequacy. Dean makes frequent use of sarcasm and humor to deflect questions about his feelings and well-being. Dean spent his life working closely with his father. When his father was unexpectedly absent for some time, Dean approached Sam and convinced him to drop out of law school in order to partner with him to find their father. Dean has previously worked alone but shows a marked tendency not to do so. Growing up, there was some competition between the brothers for their father’s attention. Sam violently disagreed with their father’s job and parenting style, which led to Sam’s departure from the family and a separate life at college, during which time Sam had limited contact with his father and brother. Despite having vastly more experience in their profession, Dean will frequently defer to Sam’s opinion. At the same time, Dean has no problem hiding information from Sam in the belief that he is protecting Sam.
Sam had a near-death experience last year which prompted Dean to sacrifice his own health. He has a terminal illness and is expected not to survive more than 12 months. These actions are in keeping with Dean’s attitude toward his family, which is to say that he will sacrifice anything and everything for them. He has shown little to no remorse in using violence to protect those he feels need protecting, including killing those who pose an imminent threat. Dean seems to value loyalty above everything else, to the point of near obsession and inability to apply logic. His sense of right and wrong do not match up closely with the law and he has no compunctions about breaking the law to accomplish his goals. Dean has an affinity for mechanics and works well with tools, engines, and schematics. He has complete confidence in his ability to utilize those skills and to generally ‘fix’ things, mechanical or otherwise. He frequently served as a peacemaker between his brother and father.
In terms of social interaction, Dean is promiscuous, excessively flirtatious, and physically aggressive. He presents a self-assured front, arrogant and convinced of his own charm. He is unwilling or unable to maintain intimate relationships with women and frequently uses female or ‘feminine’ terms in a derogatory manner, or as ascribing attributes of weakness. Dean’s father, also a bounty hunter, exposed his children to weapons and hand-to-hand combat at an early age. Physical violence with other men is as much a part of Dean’s life as his flirtatious behavior with women, and is a frequent method of solving problems or disputes. He remains a bounty hunter primarily due to a continuing sense of responsibility to his father and, as a lesser drive, a feeling that he is contributing to the greater good. His choices in media consumption run to heavy metal and classic rock music, crime drama and action films. He appears to overeat with a fair amount of regularity and frequently over-indulges in alcohol, and often chews on pens or pencils. Dean’s only close relationships are with his brother and a family friend who has served as a sort of father-figure since their father’s death.
Dean’s mother’s death occurred toward the end of Freud’s anal stage, which is characterized by a contest of wills between the child and parents. His mother’s sudden death and the resulting upheaval in the family caused further confusion and conflict in his relationship with his father, leading to characteristics of an anal personality and complicating resolution of the Oedipal complex. The trauma of his mother’s loss may have caused regression to oral tendencies and leading to a slight oral fixation, as evidenced by the tendency to overeat and drink too much. And, according to Freud, Dean’s occupation, consistent willingness to put himself in harm’s way, and aggressive behavior would indicate that perhaps his death instinct is stronger than it should be. His ego clearly overwhelms his id, except in the socially acceptable outlets of sexual promiscuity and physical aggression in his chosen line of work. Given Dean’s overall lack of concern with legalities and social norms with regard to his actions, the superego is functioning within Dean’s own set of rights and wrongs but not exerting pressure from a greater societal standpoint.
Without a mother, Dean was unable to successfully resolve the Oedipal stage of development. He had the memory of his mother and his parents’ relationship, but no actual female to serve as a focal point for emerging sexual tension. Due to his mother’s death and his father’s absences, Dean was forced into the role of ‘mother’ to his sibling, which created a different kind of conflict. His father was still a rival and the person Dean had to measure up to, but any concern that Dean would be punished for being interested in ‘mother’ was replaced by a fear of punishment if should harm come to his brother, Sam. As a result, Dean over-identified with his father as an idealized example of how to be a good father or good man. Dean also lacked the normative regulation and socialization provided by a school environment, which caused problems in the phallic stage, contributing to his current dysfunction in relationships with the opposite sex. His father did not remarry nor did he have any lasting intimate female relationships. Following his father’s example, Dean sublimates his underlying need for approval and intimacy (a need increasingly unmet since his father’s death) with work and sexual contact. For Dean, sexual interaction has nothing to do with intimacy or love and is simply a means to an end. According to Ryckman, a majority of Dean’s characteristics can be traced to abnormal or incomplete resolution of the anal and phallic stages of development.
Anal personalities are the result of a battle for power with the parents. Dean’s father was demanding and authoritarian. Given little to no opportunity for input and control in his day to day existence instilled Dean with a deep-seated stubbornness and persistence. Contrary to Freud’s postulation, however, Dean submitted to his father’s control entirely. In fact, Dean continued to work with his father and follow his directives as an adult. When separated from his father, working with Sam, Dean showed a consistent pattern of deferring to what he thought their father would do even though he took on the role of ‘leader.’ Upon reuniting with their father, Dean immediately reverted to the role of a (largely) unquestioning soldier following his father’s orders, even when he did not like it. With his father in the picture, Dean’s role because setting the good example for Sam rather than taking charge. Instead of becoming defiant, Dean became overly conscientious - particularly about Sam’s safety, to the detriment of his own - and single-minded in pursuit of his goals. Dean is a perfectionist about his work and possessive of his car but otherwise deviates from the anal personality in a need for precision, frugality, and routine. It is difficult to determine to what extent Dean is a phallic personality. He exhibits typical traits: recklessness when it comes to his personal safety or rash behavior, self-assurance in his job and with women, excessive pride in his accomplishments, vanity, and courage (Ryckman, p. 50-51) but many of these characteristics could be seen as a performance, or presentation to the outside, in order to cover his feelings of perceived inadequacy.
The deviations from ‘standard’ anal personality characteristics are explained by Dean’s dependent personality type. Ryckman presented the components (as cited from Bornstein) for dependent personality development as having:
1) a motivational component; that is, a powerful need for support and approval from others, 2) a cognitive component; that is, a perception of oneself as powerless and ineffectual, 3) an affective component; that is, a tendency to become anxious when required to function autonomously, and 4) a behavioral component; that is, a use of self-presentational strategies to strengthen ties to potential caregivers. (Bornstein, p. 82)
Dean clearly demonstrates a need for support and approval from his father. His self-perception is clearly altered by the presence of his father. While he remains confident in his abilities to get things done, he plainly sees himself as less effectual than his father. Dean’s deference to his brother could be viewed as an attempt to strengthen their ties. In his father’s absence, Dean was unwilling, if not unable, to work on his own for an extended period of time. Instead, he contacted Sam and convinced him to disrupt his own plans for the future in order to help Dean accomplish his goal of finding their father. Dean’s dependence is unhealthy, especially because he has great difficulty admitting that he might need help or support, let alone asking for it outright. He is still able to assert himself independently, act as needed to get the job done, and cultivate help through his self-deprecating humor and self-professed “charm.” Dean shows a pronounced tendency to rationalize any decisions he makes which others may disagree with or with which he may be ultimately unsatisfied (e.g. convincing Sam to leave law school, sacrificing himself for his brother, getting them both into compromising/dangerous situations).
According to Horney, Dean is a hypercompetitive. Dean fits the classic definition in terms of competing to enhance his self image, striving for superiority, exhibitionism designed to attract attention, and regarding people with distrust. He has the aforementioned tendencies toward arrogance and aggression, using sarcasm to deride others (Ryckman, p. 143). While Dean was not physically or verbally abused by his parents, he was ultimately left feeling powerless after the death of his mother and his father’s absenteeism. While hypercompetitives want success, power, recognition, and admiration from society, Dean is only interested in the approval of his family. His sense of self-importance is tied directly to his usefulness to his father and brother, and tightly wrapped in his continuation of the family business. Mistrust of others is prominent in Dean’s interactions with non-family members but he is lacking an indiscriminate need to win at all costs. Dean’s competition is focused in the scope of his work and his family and he still exercises his own morality in the process, frequently sacrificing himself for others. His sexual interactions, while not intimate, are not based on subduing or humiliating partners. Rather, his ability to obtain partners at will is what bolsters his sense of self-worth.
Because of Dean’s upbringing, he represents both primary and secondary psychopathic characteristics. He shows the primary tendency to lie when it suits him and lacks remorse under many situations where it would be considered abnormal. His morality, while unique to himself and his family, makes him far from morally barren and introduce the secondary characteristics of guilt. He lacks a tendency toward irrational beliefs but experiences doubt about his successes. His mistrust creates distance from others, problems in romantic relationships, conflict, and jealousy. Dean’s goals are murky, at best. He knows he wants to carry on the family business, largely because he feels it is his responsibility to do so, but has a marked absence of future goals and plans for himself.
Basic anxiety developed for Dean after his mother’s death. The loss of one parent, forced responsibility to take care of his brother, and authoritarian regime of his remaining parent caused severe upheaval and undermined Dean’s self-esteem while at the same time reinforcing his self-reliance. He developed feelings of inadequacy with regard to his father but at the same time had to establish an ability to care for himself and his brother. The conflicting messages created by that situation created defensive attitudes to counter Dean’s underlying neurotic needs.
Dean clearly exhibits the neurotic need for affection and approval from others. He is overly sensitive to criticism from his father and brother, does not express wishes but is comfortable expressing needs for work, and is uncomfortable asking for favors. In contrast to Horney’s assertions, Dean has no problem with saying no, except to family members. When Dean agrees to something which he is unhappy about or does not agree with, he finds a way to rationalize the choice rather than feel guilty. Dean does not present a neurotic need for a partner. While he clearly prefers not to work alone, he has no interest in finding someone who will simply take over for him and his general mistrust of others would disallow that. Dean also lacks a neurotic need to restrict his life. While he gives more credence to family members and allows them to strongly influence his choices, he has no difficulty asserting himself in most situations.
The neurotic need for power is a closer fit to Dean’s behaviors. He has a tendency to avoid situations where he might have to request help or let someone else take charge entirely. He has an entrenched sense that he should be in control at all times, run any given situation and direct his relationship outcomes. Dean used guilt, in no small part, to convince Sam to drop out of school and join him in the hunt for their father, while at the same time lauding Sam’s ability to make his own way and earn his own success. Dean wants to be right all the time. He also prizes self-control, frequently referring to Sam as a ‘bitch’ if he wants to discuss feelings or emotional state. Dean has not exhibited any neurotic needs to exploit others or achieve social recognition and prestige. While Dean covets recognition from his family members, he has little to no concern for recognition from society as a whole or status in any sense.
With regard to the more “detached” neurotic needs, Dean does not have a need for personal admiration. He has a healthy image that he presents to others and to his job, but has not developed an idealized image of himself which he is pursuing or believes to be real. No neurotic need exists for him to attain lofty personal achievements. He is moderately satisfied in the job which he currently does, but has not formulated any other future goals or plans to work toward. He presents some of the neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence, an unwillingness to express his feelings and avoiding long-term obligations, but does not have a neurotic need for perfection or unassailability.
Given that the neurotic need for power appears to be dominant in Dean’s behaviors, he could be classified as an aggressive type. The complicated nature of his need for approval, and the focus of that need almost entirely around his family, supports aggression as his dominant neurotic trend. That theory, however, is complicated by Dean’s unwillingness to succeed at any cost and a reluctance to put others down simply to make himself look better. Dean only feels better if he actually is better than the other person and he is not willing to cheat to get that end result. His need to achieve paternal approval means gaining that approval on his father’s terms - fair and square. Further stress is exerted in that Dean does not ever feel ‘better’ than his father or brother and, regardless of his actions, rarely feels worthy of approval.
While both Freud and Horney’s theories explain key components of Dean’s behavior - need for control, low sense of self worth, and dependence - Freud’s stage theory accounts more fully for the formation of Dean’s actions. Using Horney’s neurotic needs, Dean’s behavior appears to be almost evenly driven by compliance and aggression, while deviating significantly from both. Horney’s definition of basic need is also not entirely accurate in Dean’s case, given that it assumes an active abuse or neglect by the parents. Dean’s feelings of isolation and anxiety stem as much from the death of his mother as from his father’s reaction to it. Despite handling his own grief poorly and forcing Dean into early responsibility, Dean’s father was not knowingly abusive or neglectful. In fact, he clearly cared deeply for his children (as evidenced by his willingness to risk his life for them) and Dean felt loved and protected as a child. Dean developed a strong personal sense of morality and is as tempered by guilt as anyone else, which also undermines the application of Horney’s theories regarding psychopathic characteristics. Horney’s theories do not provide an adequate justification for what are, in some cases, large behavioral departures from her theory or simply inaccurate definitions as applied to Dean.
Freud, in contrast, offers both stage and personality theories to explain not only Dean’s behaviors but also those behaviors which seem to deviate from the theoretical ‘norm.’ Dependent personality theory accounts for Dean’s willingness to capitulate to his father, rather than rebel against him as characteristics of the anal personality would indicate. Research into dependent personalities proves out Dean’s ability to play an active and independent role, even with these underlying drives (Ryckman, p.56). Freud’s discourse on life and death instincts also provides insight into what seem, at times, to be contradictory behaviors from Dean. Dean’s libido is strongly evident and has been embraced and encouraged with Dean’s choice of profession and social outlet. At the same time, his death instinct is equally pronounced and leads to conflict for Dean and for those around him. His drive to get the job done and help people in the process is tempered by his willingness to put himself in danger, and therefore risking failure at his job. This trend toward self-sacrifice was a source of tension between Dean and his father, and continues to cause difficulty between Dean and his brother. Though both Freud and Horney are able to address the abnormal development in Dean’s personality, Freud’s theories provide a more comprehensive and, as a result, more accurate look at Dean’s psyche.