What is a Freudian slip? It is a verbal or memory mistake deeply related to the unconscious mind. Commonly known as parapraxis, these slips supposedly reveal secret thoughts and feelings we might have without realizing them.
Typical examples generally include an individual calling their spouse by an ex’s name, saying the wrong word at the wrong time, or simply misinterpreting a written or spoken word. Freudian slips are named this way after the one who first noticed them, the famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
In his 1901 book, “The Psychopathology of Everyday Life,” Freud mentioned a wide variety of different types and examples of Freudian slips. He mentioned that speech blunders are the direct result of a “disturbing influence of something outside of the intended speech,” such as an unconscious thought, belief, or even wish.
Through psychoanalysis, Freud established that the word reminded the young man of blood, which he also believed was linked to a pregnancy scare the man went through with his girlfriend. At the time, Freud suggested that the man had blocked out the word since it reminded him of a negative experience.
The most common types of Freudian slips
Some theorists implied that there are different types of Freudian slips, such as:
- repression – this specific type of Freudian slip occurs when repressed memories make their way into conscious awareness. For instance, a stressful or even a traumatic memory repressed from conscious awareness could be triggered by some environmental cues.
- mental errors – Other misstatements can happen simply because you are distracted, forgetful, or just not thinking clearly. You can mix up facts or misremember some details, leading to verbal errors.
- avoidance – In some cases, Freudian slips can reveal some things you have intentionally repressed, since you don’t want to deal with them. For instance, if you have been avoiding a task, you can find yourself accidentally blurting out something that can be related to the thing you’ve been trying to avoid.
Causes of Freudian slip
We don’t know why these Freudian slips happen, and since they always require an impromptu mistake on behalf of the speaker, they are very difficult to test. But there are a few possibilities for why they happen, and what they truly mean.
Thought suppression
Some researchers seem to be in favor of Freud’s theory, agreeing that unconscious and suppressed thoughts can increase the likelihood of verbal slips. For instance, one 1979 study discovered that people who thought they might get an electric shock were definitely more likely to make shock-related verbal mistakes.
Also, those who were near an attractive female experiencer were prone to mistake certain nonsensical phrases for words related to beautiful women. In a famous 1987 experiment, participants who had been asked specifically not to think about a white bear tended to think of the animal that often, an average of once per minute.
Based on what has been found, psychologist Daniel Wegner developed the “theory of the ironic process”, explaining why suppressing some of our thoughts can be extremely difficult. Even if certain parts of the brain suppress the hidden thoughts, another part likes to “check-in” and make sure we are still not thinking about it—ironically bringing the very thoughts we try to keep hidden to the forefront of our minds.
In most cases, the harder we try not to think of something, the more it blooms in our mind – hence the more likely we are to express it verbally. This paradox of thought suppression can be especially daunting for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Language processing
Verbal mistakes can be related to the way our brains process language. At times, we silently edit our words before we speak, monitoring ourselves for mistakes or inappropriate language. This process happens quite often; Freudian slips represent moments where the process failed and a mistake simply slipped out before the brain was even able to catch it.
People make one to two errors for every 1,000 words they say. This equals up to 22 verbal slip-ups during the average day, depending on how much someone talks. While Freud managed to impart the greater part of all the hidden meanings in these errors, verbal mistakes can simply be an inevitable part of life.
Examples of a Freudian slip
Nowadays, we often use the term Freudian slip in a funny way, when someone makes a mistake in speech (especially if it’s one with sexual undertones). You must have heard all the amusing slips of the tongue your friends said every now and then in the heat of the moment!
Or, think about the time your biology teacher accidentally uttered “orgasm” instead of “organism”, or when you said “Sad to meet you!” instead of “Glad to meet you!” Verbal gaffes can provide plenty of amusement, especially when spoken by famous figures, especially when such moments are recorded. Here’s a list of some of the funniest and most famous ones:
- During a Vatican sermon back in 2014, Pope Francis accidentally used the Italian word “cazzo” which translates to the male genitalia, instead of “caso,” which means “example.” The Pope rapidly corrected himself, but the mistake was still shared on dozens of websites, blogs, and YouTube videos.
- During a televised speech on education, Senator Ted Kennedy wanted to say “Our national interest needs to be to encourage the best and brightest.” Instead, he accidentally said “breast.” To make things even funnier, his hands were cupping the air WHILE he was saying the word. Even if he rapidly corrected the gaffe and kept on with his speech, the slip of the tongue seemed revealing, considering his hand gestures and the family’s reputation for womanizing.
- At a Washington, D.C., dinner party, Condoleezza Rice, who was the National Security Advisor to President Bush at the time, declared, “As I was telling my husb- as I was telling President Bush.” Of course, some may go on to say that the Freudian slip revealed hidden feelings Rice might have held toward her boss.
- When actress Amanda Seyfried was invited on the “Today” show to promote her film, Ted 2, co-host Willie Geist accidentally described her character as “titsy,” rather than “ditzy.” Besides being nothing but an amusing slip, the comment perhaps revealed what was really happening in his mind.
One very common example people have experienced is inadvertently telling someone you shouldn’t “I love you.” These words could slip out unexpectedly, especially when talking to a romantic partner.
However, it is common to accidentally say them when you’re wishing goodbye to someone on the phone, like your co-worker, friends, boss, and other family members. While slightly embarrassing, these Freudian slips are more than likely due to habit rather than a much deeper, hidden meaning.
What do they mean?
The nature of Freudian slips makes them quite challenging to study in a research environment, simply because they can’t be provoked. If they relate to deeper, darker desires, as Freud implied, investigators would need to explore people’s unconscious minds to find any support for the existence of their hidden desires.
Psychoanalysis also noticed that slips take place as a fleeting lapse in one’s capacity to keep thoughts suppressed. Research would need a closer look at this type of inner conflict. Since experts restricted means of gauging unconscious thoughts and internal conflict, they have yet to find some definitive evidence that Freudian slips could directly result from any unconscious wishes or whims you might possess.
What we know is that in 1992, a large team of researchers decided to examine plausible explanations for these slips, examining internal conflict over managing unwanted habits and emotions. They were activated through hypnosis.
If you found this article useful, we also recommend checking: 6 Key Psychological Differences Between Men and Women
