"WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY THING (TO BE A PERSIAN). HOW CAN ANYONE BE PERSIAN?"

DR. BERGLER HIMSELF, AS MOST READERS PROBABLY KNOW, SPECIALIZES IN A PARTICULAR EXPLANATION FOR HOMOSEXUALITY WHICH STRESSES THE MASOCHISTIC ASPECT. IN THIS BROADCAST HE PUT IT AS FOLLOWS: "A HOMOSEXUAL IS A MAN WHO ACQUIRED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD THE UNCONSCIOUS WISH, OR TENDENCY, TO BE MISTREATED BY A WOMAN." HE IS, THEREFORE, A FUGITIVE FROM WOMEN, WHO UNCONSCIOUSLY SEEKS FROM MEN THE SAME MISTREATMENT HE FORMERLY SOUGHT FROM WOMEN. HOMOSEXUALS, SAYS BERGLER, UNCONSCIOUSLY WANT TO BE ARRESTED. HOMOSEXUALS WHO MARRY (MISCALLED BISEXUALS, IN HIS OPINION), UNCONSCIOUSLY CONSTRUCT A SITUATION WHERE THE WIFE FINDS OUT. HOMOSEXUALS WHO, AT THE UNCONSCIOUS LEVEL, TRULY DO NOT WANT TO BE "CURED" ARE DEEPLY MASOCHISTIC.

WHAT SHOULD BE SAID ABOUT ALL THIS, BESIDES ASKING FOR THE EVIDENCE? IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO GO SO FAR AS TO DISPUTE THE EXISTENCE OF PSYCHIC MASOCHISM, OR EVEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT MAY EXPLAIN SOME HOMOSEXUALITY. (NO LESS AN AUTHORITY THAN HARRY STACK SULLIVAN, THOUGH, HAD LITTLE USE FOR THE CONCEPT AT ALL.) BUT A VENERABLE ENGLISH THINKER NAMED WILLIAM OF OCCAM BACK IN THE 14TH CENTURY SAID "ENTITIES ARE NOT TO BE MULTIPLIED BEYOND NECESSITY," WHICH FREELY TRANSLATED INTO SIMPLER ENGLISH READS: WHY INVENT A COMPLICATED EXPLANATION IF A SIMPLER ONE WILL DO? LOTS OF PEOPLE LIKE TO DO LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE NORM, THAT MAY NOT BE POPULARLY APPROVED OF, THAT MIGHT EARN THEN CENSURE, OR GET THEM IN TROUBLE. RELIGIOUS DISSENTERS, POLITICAL MAVERICKS, AND SPACE EXPLORERS MIGHT LIKE LIVING DANGEROUSLY BECAUSE THEY ARE MASOCHISTIC, BUT THEY JUST MIGHT CONCEIVABLY LIKE THEIR PREFERRED FORM OF ACTIVITY IN SPITE OF, NOT BECAUSE OF, ITS POTENTIAL OR ACTUAL DISADVANTAGES. NOT A PERFECT ANALOGY, PERHAPS, YET BERGLER'S ATTEMPT TO TIE UP HOMOSEXUALITY WITH WHAT HE CALLS "INJUSTICE COLLECTING" APPEARED TO BE BASED ON MERE ASSERTION. IT WAS PARTICULARLY UNCONVINCING SINCE BERGLER HIMSELF CONFESSED THAT "INJUSTICE COLLECTING" WAY OR MAY NOT INVOLVE HOMOSEXUALITY. HE DID NOT STATE WHAT KINDS OF "INJUSTICE COLLECTING" DO AND WHAT KINDS DO NOT LEAD TO HOMOSEXUALITY; YET HE CONSIDERED IT A FAR MORE IMPORTANT SIGN-POST OF MALE HOMOSEXUALITY THAN FEMININITY IN MEN.

ONE MEMBER OF THE PANEL

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DR. STENGLE POINTED OUT THAT DR.

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