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Power and Innocence: A Search for the Sources of Violence
Stressing the positive, creative aspects of power and innocence, Rollo May offers a way of thinking about the problems of contemporary society. Rollo May defines power as the ability to cause or prevent change; innocence, on the other hand, is the conscious divesting of one's power to make it seem a virtuea form of powerlessness that Dr. May sees as particularly American in nature. From these basic concepts he suggests a new ethic that sees power as the basis for both human goodness and evil.
Dr. May discusses five levels of power's potential in each of us: the infant's power to be; self-affirmation, the ability to survive with self-esteem; self-assertion, which develops when self-affirmation is blocked; aggression, a reaction to thwarted assertion; and, finally, violence, when reason and persuasion are ineffective.
Dr. May discusses five levels of power's potential in each of us: the infant's power to be; self-affirmation, the ability to survive with self-esteem; self-assertion, which develops when self-affirmation is blocked; aggression, a reaction to thwarted assertion; and, finally, violence, when reason and persuasion are ineffective.
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
33 people are currently reading
560 people want to read
About the author
Rollo May
86 books842 followersRollo May (April 21, 1909 – October 22, 1994) was an American existential psychologist. He authored the influential book Love and Will during 1969.
Although he is often associated with humanistic psychology, his philosophy was influenced strongly by existentialist philosophy. May was a close friend of the theologian Paul Tillich. His works include Love and Will and The Courage to Create, the latter title honoring Tillich's The Courage to Be.
Biography
May was born in Ada, Ohio in 1909. He experienced a difficult childhood, with his parents divorcing and his sister becoming schizophrenic. His educational career took him to Michigan State College majoring in English and Oberlin College for a bachelor's degree, teaching for a time in Greece, to Union Theological Seminary for a BD during 1938, and finally to Teachers College, Columbia University for a PhD in clinical psychology during 1949. May was a founder and faculty member of Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco.[1]
He spent the final years of his life in Tiburon on San Francisco Bay, where he died in October 1994.
Accomplishments
May was influenced by American humanism, and interested in reconciling existential psychology with other philosophies, especially Freud's.
May considered Otto Rank (1884-1939) to be the most important precursor of existential therapy. Shortly before his death, May wrote the foreword to Robert Kramer's edited collection of Rank’s American lectures. “I have long considered Otto Rank to be the great unacknowledged genius in Freud’s circle,” wrote May (Rank, 1996, p. xi).
May used some traditional existential terms in a slightly different fashion than others, and he invented new words for traditional existentialist concepts. Destiny, for example, could be "thrownness" combined with "fallenness" — the part of our lives that is determined for us, for the purpose of creating our lives. He also used the word "courage" to signify resisting anxiety.
He defined certain "stages" of development:
Innocence – the pre-egoic, pre-self-conscious stage of the infant.
An innocent is only doing what he or she must do. However, an innocent does have a degree of will in the sense of a drive to fulfill needs.
Rebellion – the rebellious person wants freedom, but does not yet have a good understanding of the responsibility that goes with it.
Decision – The person is in a transition stage in their life such that they need to be more independent from their parents and settle into the "ordinary stage". In this stage they must decide what to do with their life, and fulfilling rebellious needs from the rebellious stage.
Ordinary – the normal adult ego learned responsibility, but finds it too demanding, and so seeks refuge in conformity and traditional values.
Creative – the authentic adult, the existential stage, self-actualizing and transcending simple egocentrism.
These are not "stages" in the traditional sense. A child may certainly be innocent, ordinary or creative at times; an adult may be rebellious. The only association with certain ages is in terms of importance: rebelliousness is more important for a two year old or a teenager.
May perceived the sexual mores of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as commercialization of sex and pornography, as having influenced society such that people believed that love and sex are no longer associated directly. According to May, emotion has become separated from reason, making it acceptable socially to seek sexual relationships and avoid the natural drive to relate to another person and create new life. May believed that sexual freedom can cause modern society to neglect more important psychological developments. May suggests that the only way to remedy the cynical ideas that characterize our times is to rediscover the importance of caring for another, which May describes as the opposite of apathy.
His first book, The Meaning of Anxiety, was based on his d
Although he is often associated with humanistic psychology, his philosophy was influenced strongly by existentialist philosophy. May was a close friend of the theologian Paul Tillich. His works include Love and Will and The Courage to Create, the latter title honoring Tillich's The Courage to Be.
Biography
May was born in Ada, Ohio in 1909. He experienced a difficult childhood, with his parents divorcing and his sister becoming schizophrenic. His educational career took him to Michigan State College majoring in English and Oberlin College for a bachelor's degree, teaching for a time in Greece, to Union Theological Seminary for a BD during 1938, and finally to Teachers College, Columbia University for a PhD in clinical psychology during 1949. May was a founder and faculty member of Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco.[1]
He spent the final years of his life in Tiburon on San Francisco Bay, where he died in October 1994.
Accomplishments
May was influenced by American humanism, and interested in reconciling existential psychology with other philosophies, especially Freud's.
May considered Otto Rank (1884-1939) to be the most important precursor of existential therapy. Shortly before his death, May wrote the foreword to Robert Kramer's edited collection of Rank’s American lectures. “I have long considered Otto Rank to be the great unacknowledged genius in Freud’s circle,” wrote May (Rank, 1996, p. xi).
May used some traditional existential terms in a slightly different fashion than others, and he invented new words for traditional existentialist concepts. Destiny, for example, could be "thrownness" combined with "fallenness" — the part of our lives that is determined for us, for the purpose of creating our lives. He also used the word "courage" to signify resisting anxiety.
He defined certain "stages" of development:
Innocence – the pre-egoic, pre-self-conscious stage of the infant.
An innocent is only doing what he or she must do. However, an innocent does have a degree of will in the sense of a drive to fulfill needs.
Rebellion – the rebellious person wants freedom, but does not yet have a good understanding of the responsibility that goes with it.
Decision – The person is in a transition stage in their life such that they need to be more independent from their parents and settle into the "ordinary stage". In this stage they must decide what to do with their life, and fulfilling rebellious needs from the rebellious stage.
Ordinary – the normal adult ego learned responsibility, but finds it too demanding, and so seeks refuge in conformity and traditional values.
Creative – the authentic adult, the existential stage, self-actualizing and transcending simple egocentrism.
These are not "stages" in the traditional sense. A child may certainly be innocent, ordinary or creative at times; an adult may be rebellious. The only association with certain ages is in terms of importance: rebelliousness is more important for a two year old or a teenager.
May perceived the sexual mores of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as commercialization of sex and pornography, as having influenced society such that people believed that love and sex are no longer associated directly. According to May, emotion has become separated from reason, making it acceptable socially to seek sexual relationships and avoid the natural drive to relate to another person and create new life. May believed that sexual freedom can cause modern society to neglect more important psychological developments. May suggests that the only way to remedy the cynical ideas that characterize our times is to rediscover the importance of caring for another, which May describes as the opposite of apathy.
His first book, The Meaning of Anxiety, was based on his d
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January 3, 2016
Such a great book to help shed light on the origins of violence!
I think this quote sums up the book pretty nicely...
"Violence is a symptom. The disease is variously powerlessness, insignificance, injustice-in short, a conviction that I am less than human and I am homeless in the world."
I think this quote sums up the book pretty nicely...
"Violence is a symptom. The disease is variously powerlessness, insignificance, injustice-in short, a conviction that I am less than human and I am homeless in the world."
September 12, 2013
The extraordinary thing about Rollo May's Power and Innocence: A Search for the Sources of Violence (1972) is that it has as much to say about Columbine, Virginia Tech, the Oklahoma Federal Building, Iraq, Afghanistan, Martin and Zimmerman, Snowden, and Syria as it does Charles Fairweather, Vietnam, Kent State, Frantz Fanon, and Daniel Ellsberg. All you need to do to update it is to plug-in new names. The thesis is as good as ever: Reducing an individual, a group or a nation state to a subhuman nonentity will lead to violence.
The reason that most people - and many countries - never make the connection between losses of self-esteem and violence is that it is a slow-burning process:
"Violence is like the sudden chemical change that occurs when, following a relatively placid period, water breaks into a boil. If we do not see the burner underneath that has been heating the water, we mistake the violence for a discrete happenstance. We fail to see that the violence is an entirely understandable outcome of personalities fighting against odds in a repressive culture that does not help them."
Because May was trained as a psychologist, many of his insights are scientific in nature. But the hallmark of this book and all of the other great titles by May is the author's breadth as a humanist and writer. He intersperses case studies from his psychotherapy practice with meditations on current events, philosophy, literature and art to produce a narrative that is surprisingly easy to read. No matter where May is in the book, he always seems to reach for the right block.
In the final two chapters, May focuses on the importance of humility, compassion and understanding. Leaving someone out - whether it is the awkward kid in the schoolyard or a country that's been demonized - is dangerous business for everyone.
I don't know who has been paying for Dennis Rodman's flights to Korea, but the State Department might want to think seriously about picking up his next tab.
The reason that most people - and many countries - never make the connection between losses of self-esteem and violence is that it is a slow-burning process:
"Violence is like the sudden chemical change that occurs when, following a relatively placid period, water breaks into a boil. If we do not see the burner underneath that has been heating the water, we mistake the violence for a discrete happenstance. We fail to see that the violence is an entirely understandable outcome of personalities fighting against odds in a repressive culture that does not help them."
Because May was trained as a psychologist, many of his insights are scientific in nature. But the hallmark of this book and all of the other great titles by May is the author's breadth as a humanist and writer. He intersperses case studies from his psychotherapy practice with meditations on current events, philosophy, literature and art to produce a narrative that is surprisingly easy to read. No matter where May is in the book, he always seems to reach for the right block.
In the final two chapters, May focuses on the importance of humility, compassion and understanding. Leaving someone out - whether it is the awkward kid in the schoolyard or a country that's been demonized - is dangerous business for everyone.
I don't know who has been paying for Dennis Rodman's flights to Korea, but the State Department might want to think seriously about picking up his next tab.
June 8, 2019
sonunda bitirdim
ara ara kafamı kaldırıp "Ha bu ne diyi?" dediğim de oldu ancak uzun uzun konuşmaların sonunda bir yerde, bir paragrafta öyle bir çıkarım yapıyor ki "hah tamam" diyor insan "bu adam ne dediğini biliyor"...
ara ara kafamı kaldırıp "Ha bu ne diyi?" dediğim de oldu ancak uzun uzun konuşmaların sonunda bir yerde, bir paragrafta öyle bir çıkarım yapıyor ki "hah tamam" diyor insan "bu adam ne dediğini biliyor"...
August 16, 2016
I originally found this book because Irvin Yalom had mentioned May as a significant influence, and because I’m interested in the ‘sources of violence’. The most significant thing I’m taking away from this book is the importance of insight into innocence and powerlessness. “Innocence as a shield from responsibility is also a shield from growth.” May cites the claim of the denial of power or the non-pursuit of power as a false innocence that allows an individual to act out violently without the capacity to have insight into the the consequences of his/her actions. Leading up to this, May cites a variety of forms of power, ranging from the will to live to the destructiveness of violence and control. And this is a central element, that all power is not bad, and that some is in fact necessary and inherent in self-expression. The claim of innocence therefore shields an individual from recognizing that they have power, and the ways that they enact power.
But May goes beyond this to empathize with the systemic issues that contribute to social powerlessness for certain people groups, particularly those that are marginalized and oppressed. In this sense, there is an understanding of violence as an outbreaking of an individual or group who has a recognition of powerlessness, and can see no answer beyond the call for violence. Of course, when one group in power collapses, power cannot be neutralized and the group acting violently to overcome oppression moves into position of power.
On a personal note, I connected deeply to the chapter entitled The Humanity of the Rebel. I would not identify myself as a rebel in terms of my impact on society, but rather as an aspect of my personality, and a desire for my vocation in the future. “He rebels for the sake of a vision of life and society which he is convinced is critically important for himself and his fellows.” There is an ongoing dialogue in which the rebel recognizes the impact of society on his/her life and development, and also calls into question the core tenets of this culture, particularly those that result in violence and oppression.
I would highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more by Rollo May.
But May goes beyond this to empathize with the systemic issues that contribute to social powerlessness for certain people groups, particularly those that are marginalized and oppressed. In this sense, there is an understanding of violence as an outbreaking of an individual or group who has a recognition of powerlessness, and can see no answer beyond the call for violence. Of course, when one group in power collapses, power cannot be neutralized and the group acting violently to overcome oppression moves into position of power.
On a personal note, I connected deeply to the chapter entitled The Humanity of the Rebel. I would not identify myself as a rebel in terms of my impact on society, but rather as an aspect of my personality, and a desire for my vocation in the future. “He rebels for the sake of a vision of life and society which he is convinced is critically important for himself and his fellows.” There is an ongoing dialogue in which the rebel recognizes the impact of society on his/her life and development, and also calls into question the core tenets of this culture, particularly those that result in violence and oppression.
I would highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more by Rollo May.
February 12, 2014
I first read Rollo May's Power and Innocence in 1983 or 1984 as an undergraduate class assignment. I have revisited it over the years as I find it to be a helpful, perceptive book about the human condition. I still have my undergraduate text, now worn, but with the highlights, underlining, and margin notes still there.
First published in 1972, and using examples in the text drawn from that period of time, May's book still informs today's thoughtful reader about power, powerlessness, innocence, and violence in humans. There are many very quotable passages in May's book, and as a fan of well-constructed quotes, I would encourage you to read this book not only for the overall content (which is very good) but for the little "nuggets" of wisdom and human insight that May has written.
Conservative American readers -- especially religious, conservative American readers -- may be irked by Dr. May's section "The Greening and the Parching of America" in Chapter Two of the book. There Dr. May tackles head-on the identification of the formation of the USA with the will of God. "The is the hallmark of pseudoinnocence: always identify your self-interest with the design of Providence," is one of May's great quotes. He goes on to tackle the violence, even savagery, that has been part of American history and American society from early on. This is not to say the book is bad, but that it will annoy some people.
Overall, I recommend this book as a good one to read and to keep.
First published in 1972, and using examples in the text drawn from that period of time, May's book still informs today's thoughtful reader about power, powerlessness, innocence, and violence in humans. There are many very quotable passages in May's book, and as a fan of well-constructed quotes, I would encourage you to read this book not only for the overall content (which is very good) but for the little "nuggets" of wisdom and human insight that May has written.
Conservative American readers -- especially religious, conservative American readers -- may be irked by Dr. May's section "The Greening and the Parching of America" in Chapter Two of the book. There Dr. May tackles head-on the identification of the formation of the USA with the will of God. "The is the hallmark of pseudoinnocence: always identify your self-interest with the design of Providence," is one of May's great quotes. He goes on to tackle the violence, even savagery, that has been part of American history and American society from early on. This is not to say the book is bad, but that it will annoy some people.
Overall, I recommend this book as a good one to read and to keep.
February 4, 2017
Essential! This books provides a firm foundation to stand on when approaching most any social situation or political discussion. The lens of power is itself empowering. Highly recommended for making sense of the current state of things in America. The language is clean and simple - it is a quick read.
February 17, 2008
Philosophy is not separate from psychology ultimately. This is a book that if read carefully allows for the terrifying possibility that the morally pure and clean inhabit the roots of violence. The concept of pseudo-innocence is skeletal in its explanatory power to map the human condition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2020
Culture is more violent than ever. Mass shootings happen almost daily. The U.S. military-industrial complex spreads war to every corner of the world. Extreme patriarchal values celebrate strength, individualism, zero-sum scenarios, hyper-masculinity, and aggression over grace, community, communication, cooperation, love, and peace.
Society's out-of-control violence is a loud alarm screaming that things have gone seriously awry.
With Power and Innocence, May delivers an incisive look at violence, from a psychological to a cultural phenomenon, and he searches for ways to mitigate the pains.
In his inquiry, May makes many fascinating observations:
*self-assertion and validation are critical to the healthy ego
*if aggressiveness or autonomy is blocked as a child, individuals tend to remain dependent
*if power is not expressed constructively, it will emerge destructively
*communication breakdown is a common source of violence
*violence is usually a "last resort" in the human quest for significance and power
*violence can be a symptom of a hostile culture
Generally, May suggests violence emerges from feelings of "less-than-humanness", powerlessness, hopelessness, or homelessness in society and he identifies community as the saving grace, offering members mutual mental, physical, and spiritual nourishment.
As usual, May offers a warm, accessible, and deeply incisive look at his subject.
One book from Rollo May contains more wisdom than 1,000 books from lesser authors.
Society's out-of-control violence is a loud alarm screaming that things have gone seriously awry.
With Power and Innocence, May delivers an incisive look at violence, from a psychological to a cultural phenomenon, and he searches for ways to mitigate the pains.
In his inquiry, May makes many fascinating observations:
*self-assertion and validation are critical to the healthy ego
*if aggressiveness or autonomy is blocked as a child, individuals tend to remain dependent
*if power is not expressed constructively, it will emerge destructively
*communication breakdown is a common source of violence
*violence is usually a "last resort" in the human quest for significance and power
*violence can be a symptom of a hostile culture
Generally, May suggests violence emerges from feelings of "less-than-humanness", powerlessness, hopelessness, or homelessness in society and he identifies community as the saving grace, offering members mutual mental, physical, and spiritual nourishment.
As usual, May offers a warm, accessible, and deeply incisive look at his subject.
One book from Rollo May contains more wisdom than 1,000 books from lesser authors.
November 19, 2025
Güç ve Masumiyet, insanın kendi gücüyle ilişkisini anlamaya çalışan bir kitap. Gücü; insanın hayata katılma ve kendini ifade etme kapasitesi olarak ele alıyor; sevgiyle bir araya geldiğinde nasıl derinleştiğini, yönünü kaybettiğinde ise nasıl tıkandığını inceliyor.
Kitap; güç, sevgi, saldırganlık, şiddet, benlik, yüzleşme, masumiyet ve sözde masumiyet gibi konular üzerinden ilerliyor. Bu kavramları birbirine bağlarken hem kendilik duygusuna hem de ilişkilerin kırılganlıklarına dair sade ve düşündürücü bir çerçeve sunuyor.
En çok edebiyatla olmak üzere; sanat, felsefe, psikoloji, sosyoloji, antropoloji, tarih ve elbette deneyimlerimizle, hayatın içindeki karşılaşmalarımızla birlikte bütünlük kazanan kendimi ve türdeşlerimi anlama yolculuğumda sevdiklerimden biri.
Kitap; güç, sevgi, saldırganlık, şiddet, benlik, yüzleşme, masumiyet ve sözde masumiyet gibi konular üzerinden ilerliyor. Bu kavramları birbirine bağlarken hem kendilik duygusuna hem de ilişkilerin kırılganlıklarına dair sade ve düşündürücü bir çerçeve sunuyor.
En çok edebiyatla olmak üzere; sanat, felsefe, psikoloji, sosyoloji, antropoloji, tarih ve elbette deneyimlerimizle, hayatın içindeki karşılaşmalarımızla birlikte bütünlük kazanan kendimi ve türdeşlerimi anlama yolculuğumda sevdiklerimden biri.
January 28, 2022
In 1968 I read May’s MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING and declared upon finishing it, “This is the beginning of a new life.” POWER AND INNOCENCE is an insightful book focused on the real life challenges of embracing life while balancing the pressures of good and evil within oneself. I will seek to read more of his many books.
August 18, 2020
I read this long before I started writing brief summaries of my take on books. I have no recollection of reading the book; I was 23 and reading a lot of stuff, all over the map. I think I found May by way of D. H. Laing or Sidney Jourard. Great times.
September 6, 2018
like if jordan peterson wasnt jordan peterson
November 21, 2018
"Life consists of achieving good not apart from evil but in spite of it."
This is an interesting book that depicts how powerlessness and not power breeds violence.
This is an interesting book that depicts how powerlessness and not power breeds violence.
August 30, 2020
An incredible academic work.
January 18, 2021
So much of this wisdom has had to be rediscovered in the decades since Rollo May left us. Read this if you wish to understand violence.
October 20, 2023
Absolutely brilliant
July 14, 2011
I really enjoyed the book and got some valuable insights from it. May's lack of theological training cannot be hidden. His Biblical references and theological commentaries are obviously more informed by his philosophy than his understanding of the text. But he is a psychologist and not a theologian.
Overall, there is some powerful insights and messages to the reader and it is well worth spending the time to do so.
Overall, there is some powerful insights and messages to the reader and it is well worth spending the time to do so.
August 1, 2015
I found this book at a garage sale. I'm glad I found it because it was a fascinating book to read. It wasn't hard to understand and the author gave some great examples and his theories made good sense.
Read
December 31, 2017sanat siddetin yerine gecer. Bazi kisileri siddete iten durtuler sanatçıyı yaratmasi icin guduler ( alinti)
May 27, 2018
Güçsüz bir masumiyet trajediye yol açar. Rollo May gerçekleştirilememiş gücün yıkıcı olduğundan bahsediyor. Bugün sosyal ilişkiler mühendisliği amacıyla, manipülasyonda beceri edinmek için okunan, sahte medeni kişisel gelişim kitaplarından değil elbette. Kendini yönetmeyi öğrenerek bireysel bir kurtuluşa kavuşmayı önermiyor.
72'de yazılan bu kitap 60'ların gücü reddeden ama masum çiçek çocukların trajedisini örnek veriyor. Fedakar değil kendini olumlayan bir şiddeti Fanon'dan örnekle övüyor. "Burada şiddet bütünlük, özsaygı ve kendi güçlerinin farkına varmanın bir yoludur" diyor.
Varoluşçu May gücü tekrar tarif ediyor ve: "Saldırganlığın yapıcı formları arasında, bir ilişki başlatmak için engelleri aşmak, karşımızdakine zarar verme değil bilincine nüfuz etme niyetiyle karşısına çıkmak, kişinin bütünlüğünü tehdit eden güçlerin etkisini azaltmak, kendi benliğini ve fikirlerini düşman çevrelerde gerçekleştirmek, iyileşmenin önündeki engelleri aşmak vardır" diyor.
Sonuç olarak iyilik naif bir saflık değildir: "aradığımız iyilik, artmış bir duyarlılık, keskinleşmiş bir farkındalık, hem iyilik hem de kötülüğün yükselmiş bir bilincidir".
Bu kitap güç, iyi-kötü, bütünlük, masumiyet üzerine düşünmek çok iyi bir fırsat veriyor.
72'de yazılan bu kitap 60'ların gücü reddeden ama masum çiçek çocukların trajedisini örnek veriyor. Fedakar değil kendini olumlayan bir şiddeti Fanon'dan örnekle övüyor. "Burada şiddet bütünlük, özsaygı ve kendi güçlerinin farkına varmanın bir yoludur" diyor.
Varoluşçu May gücü tekrar tarif ediyor ve: "Saldırganlığın yapıcı formları arasında, bir ilişki başlatmak için engelleri aşmak, karşımızdakine zarar verme değil bilincine nüfuz etme niyetiyle karşısına çıkmak, kişinin bütünlüğünü tehdit eden güçlerin etkisini azaltmak, kendi benliğini ve fikirlerini düşman çevrelerde gerçekleştirmek, iyileşmenin önündeki engelleri aşmak vardır" diyor.
Sonuç olarak iyilik naif bir saflık değildir: "aradığımız iyilik, artmış bir duyarlılık, keskinleşmiş bir farkındalık, hem iyilik hem de kötülüğün yükselmiş bir bilincidir".
Bu kitap güç, iyi-kötü, bütünlük, masumiyet üzerine düşünmek çok iyi bir fırsat veriyor.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews