represser's mind is only partially disabled by blocks, the unobstructed area of his mind retains the capacity to work
at removing them.
Repressed material does not vanish completely; it reveals itself in countless indirect ways. The two broadest
categories of clues by which repressed material can be traced are: (1) the presence of emotions and desires that
appear causeless and incomprehensible in terms of one's conscious convictions; (2) the presence of contradictions
in one's responses—contradictions between one's desires, or between one's emotions and one's actions. A concern
with detecting such contradictions is the necessary precondition of successful de-repression; it is the starting point
of one's introspective efforts to remove mental blocks.
The details of the process of de-repression are outside the scope of this discussion. It must be noted, however, that
the process can be extremely difficult. Sometimes, such complexities are involved that a man may require the aid of
a competent psychotherapist.
In order to avoid repression—or in order to de-repress—it is imperative that a man adopt the policy of being aware
of his emotions: that he take note of and conceptualize his emotional reactions and that he identify their reasons.
This policy, practiced consistently, makes repression almost impossible; the chief reason why it is often so easy for
men to repress is their policy of unconcern with, and obliviousness to, their own mental states and processes.
If his emotions are to be a source of pleasure to man, not a source of pain, he must learn to think about them.
Rational awareness is not the "cold hand" that kills; it is the power that liberates.