---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said…"
description: "\"If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said that in every idealisation there's an aggression. Depicting the Pope as a sort of Superman, a star, is offensiv..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/pope-francis-85_aggression_if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-t_433978.jpg"
---

#  If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said that in every…

![“If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said that in every idealisation there's an aggression. Depicting the Pope as a sort of Superman, a star, is offensive to me. The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone else. A normal person.” quote by Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/pope-francis-85_aggression_if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-t_433978.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/pope-francis-85_aggression_if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-t_433978.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/pope-francis-85_aggression_if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-t_433978.jpg)

> “If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said that in every idealisation there's an aggression. Depicting the Pope as a sort of Superman, a star, is offensive to me. The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone else. A normal person.”

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote critiques idealizing figures, reminding that even revered leaders have ordinary human emotions and vulnerabilities.

**In simple terms:** Even great leaders are human and can be ordinary.

Key Takeaway

Recognize humanity in all people.

Themes

humility humanity leadership

Mood

thoughtful balanced

Type

reflective philosophical

When to use this quote

- leadership discussions
- personal reflection
- media criticism

Key Concepts

psychology idealization empathy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does seeing leaders as human affect your respect?
- What risks arise from idolizing public figures?

A Different Perspective

Idealization can overlook flaws and create unrealistic expectations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Aggression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/) [Aggression Depicting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression-depicting-3818923/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Depicting Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depicting-pope-3818921/) [Idealisation Aggression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealisation-aggression-3818922/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mistaken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistaken/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-person/) [Offensive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offensive/) [Offensive Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offensive-pope-3818920/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pope/) [Pope Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pope-man-3019034/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sigmund-freud/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/)

## Related quotes

> [The Pope is a man. The Pope needs the input of women, too. And the Pope, too, has a heart that can have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-pope-is-a-man-the-pope-needs-the-input-of-women-too-and-the-pope/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [“My brain is in pain with none of the gain what’s happening in my mind I can’t quantify or justify my lifestyle eatin’ me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-ide/my-brain-is-in-pain-with-none-of-the-gain-what-s-happening-in-my-mind/)

[Joe Ide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-ide/)

> [Sigmund Freud was a half baked Viennese quack. Our literature, culture, and the films of Woody Allen would be better today if Freud had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-shoales/sigmund-freud-was-a-half-baked-viennese-quack-our-literature-culture/)

[Ian Shoales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-shoales/)

> [“The world of magic is double, natural, and supernatural. Magic is impossible in a purely materialist world, a purely sceptical world, a world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt/the-world-of-magic-is-double-natural-and-supernatural-magic-is/)

[A.S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt/)

> [If you walk into a coffee shop in 1903 Vienna, you might find at the same table the artist Gustav Klimt, Sigmund Freud, Leon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/if-you-walk-into-a-coffee-shop-in-1903-vienna-you-might-find-at-the/)

[Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/)

> [“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” Sigmund Freud thefathersday.com”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinay-chouhan/i-cannot-think-of-any-need-in-childhood-as-strong-as-the-need-for-a/)

[Vinay Chouhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinay-chouhan/)

> [A major contributor to the present-day tendency to accept and encourage homosexuality is Dr. Sigmund Freud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/a-major-contributor-to-the-present-day-tendency-to-accept-and/)

[Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/)

> [If Sigmund Freud had watched Phil Donahue he would never have wondered what women want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/if-sigmund-freud-had-watched-phil-donahue-he-would-never-have/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“One IGHS member said that, yup, she could hear it, too. Then again, during a dinner conversation earlier in the trip, this same woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/one-ighs-member-said-that-yup-she-could-hear-it-too-then-again-during/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-houston/he-that-has-eyes-to-see-and-ears-to-hear-may-convince-himself-that-no/)

[Philip Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-houston/)

> [I first read Sigmund Freud's 'Beyond the Pleasure Principle' as a young girl, and it helped me to understand that there are thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/i-first-read-sigmund-freud-s-beyond-the-pleasure-principle-as-a-young/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [“What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult. -Sigmund Freud”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-a-distressing-contrast-there-is-between-the-radiant-intelligence/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ For \[Sigmund \] Freud, the manifest dream, that is that which we remember after waking,is like a code message, that can be interpreted, provided… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/for-sigmund-freud-the-manifest-dream-that-is-that-which-we-remember/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [When you are dealing with a serious compulsion or addictive pattern, then by definition self-will, self-discipline, and any other machinations of the conscious mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/when-you-are-dealing-with-a-serious-compulsion-or-addictive-pattern/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to surmise that war has a perverse appeal for the human race, nor is the attraction limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/you-don-t-have-to-be-sigmund-freud-to-surmise-that-war-has-a-perverse/)

[Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/)

## More by Pope Francis

> [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [“Most people nowadays would not consider love as related in any way to truth. Love is seen as an experience associated with the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/most-people-nowadays-would-not-consider-love-as-related-in-any-way-to/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Listen to Jesus and follow him. That's the message of the Transfiguration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/listen-to-jesus-and-follow-him-that-s-the-message-of-the/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Proceed calmly in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/proceed-calmly-in-life/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [I like to say that women are those who form life in their wombs - and this is a comparison I make - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-like-to-say-that-women-are-those-who-form-life-in-their-wombs-and/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [You cannot insult the faith of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/you-cannot-insult-the-faith-of-others/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [To all people of good will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/to-all-people-of-good-will-who-are-working-for-social-justice-never/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [In Confession, Jesus welcomes us with all our sinfulness, to give us a new heart, capable of loving as he loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/in-confession-jesus-welcomes-us-with-all-our-sinfulness-to-give-us-a/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [I pray every day for all who are suffering in Iraq. Please join me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-pray-every-day-for-all-who-are-suffering-in-iraq-please-join-me/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [I entrust this Twenty-second World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Mary. I ask her to help the sick to bear their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-entrust-this-twenty-second-world-day-of-the-sick-to-the/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Certain realities in life are only seen through eyes that are cleansed through our tears. Let us learn how to weep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/certain-realities-in-life-are-only-seen-through-eyes-that-are/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

[Explore all 1,479 Pope Francis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

## More Aggression quotes

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [I used to fight with hate. There's been a lot of aggression in my past growing up and stuff. That's because I was hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-namajunas/i-used-to-fight-with-hate-there-s-been-a-lot-of-aggression-in-my-past/)

[Rose Namajunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-namajunas/)

> [We have nothing in our history or position to invite aggression; we have everything to beckon us to the cultivation of relations of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-nothing-in-our-history-or-position-to-invite-aggression-we/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I take up the standpoint that the tendency to aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man, and I come back now to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/i-take-up-the-standpoint-that-the-tendency-to-aggression-is-an-innate/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [Boxing can be so important to young people, it keeps you off the street and you can channel your energy and aggression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/boxing-can-be-so-important-to-young-people-it-keeps-you-off-the/)

[Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/)

> [“That which is of great value cannot be attained through aggression. You will be able to find the mystery of life only if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/that-which-is-of-great-value-cannot-be-attained-through-aggression/)

[Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/)

> [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/)

[Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/)

> [I can remember watching MTV Cribs - these amazing houses - and looking around my house where there was no carpet on the floors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bugzy-malone/i-can-remember-watching-mtv-cribs-these-amazing-houses-and-looking/)

[Bugzy Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bugzy-malone/)

> [Nationalism, on my opinion, is nothing more than an idealistic rationalization for militarism and aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/nationalism-on-my-opinion-is-nothing-more-than-an-idealistic/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [I really like battle ropes. They're so versatile; you can get a terrific workout doing a ton of different exercises with them. My clients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/i-really-like-battle-ropes-they-re-so-versatile-you-can-get-a/)

[Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/)

> [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/)

[Empress Dowager Cixi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/empress-dowager-cixi/)

> [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/)

[Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/)

> [This is passive-aggression in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/this-is-passive-aggression-in-action/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility. When an adult hits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-child-hits-a-child-we-call-it-aggression-when-a-child-hits-an/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Major international interventions are doomed unless the US is directly or indirectly involved. But if American politicians, officials and servicemen are to be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/major-international-interventions-are-doomed-unless-the-us-is/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

[Browse all 860 Aggression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said that in every idealisation there's an aggression. Depicting the Pope as a sort of Superman, a star, is offensive to me. The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone else. A normal person.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pope Francis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-that-in-every-idealisation/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Aggression"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-that-in-every-idealisation/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/pope-francis-85_aggression_if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-t_433978.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/pope-francis-85_aggression_if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-t_433978.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/pope-francis-85_aggression_if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-t_433978.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said that in every idealisation there's an aggression. Depicting the Pope…” — Pope Francis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Pope Francis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If I'm not mistaken, Sigmund Freud...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-that-in-every-idealisation/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/if-i-m-not-mistaken-sigmund-freud-said-that-in-every-idealisation/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
