Mortido

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Mortido is a term used in psychoanalysis. Originally introduced by Paul Federn (1870-1950), one of Sigmund Freud's pupils, it refers to an energy of withdrawal, disintegration, and resistance to life and growth. Eric Berne, who was a pupil of Federn's, was among those to research some form of this desire. "Mortido" also refers to the desire to destroy life, both in oneself and others. In this context many people confuse mortido with destrudo or the death instinct.

According to psychoanalytic theory, at the basis of human personality lie two fundamental drives: one creative (libido) and one destructive (mortido). Ego-libido is experienced as pleasantly familiar, while ego-mortido is experienced as pain and a fearful unknown.