[The concept of "amae"].

Abstract

A concept deriving from the Japanese word amae is introduced as that which bridges dependence and attachment, two conceptually different states. The word primarily refers to what an infant feels when it seeks mother, but it can be predicated of an adult to indicate the presence of a similar feeling of being emotionally close to another. Significantly, the feeling of amae is not mediated by words, though it can be acknowledged as such on reflection. Also, when frustrated, it can easily lead to a desire for such a feeling. Two popular stories, one French and the other American, are cited to illustrate the existence of amae, in fact its central importance, even in non-Japanese contexts. The psychology of keeping pets can also be understood in terms of amae. It is thus maintained that though the concept comes from Japanese, it is universally applicable and can shed a new light on the emotional life which has been the main target of psychoanalytic investigation.