Defect and recognition in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex.

This paper explores the relationships between experienced defect and the subsequent shame and longing for recognition. A clinical vignette is presented in which a young woman sought treatment for her infidelity to her husband: a behavior she found totally mystifying and deeply troubling. Using Bollas' concept of "the unthought known," parallels are drawn between this patient, who was adopted at 2 weeks of age, and Oedipus' experience of knowing and not knowing his fate.