["Thefts not involving intentional personal gain"--not a psychopathological syndrome (author's transl)]

The term "thefts not involving intentional personal gain" is subjected to critical appraisal. Since analogies to the ancient theory of kleptomania are persistently restated, examples are given to illustrate the original meaning of that term, namely, "thieves" stealing objects immediately recognisable as not serving any useful purpose, or acting as though prompted by an irresistible impulse, no expert being required to diagnose classification of such acts. Recent cases in point include, on the one hand, "patients" in whom intentional personal gain can be neither proved nor disproved, and, on the other hand, persons from "higher strata" of society whom one may not believe to be capable of succumbing to a momentary weakness despite their avowals to the contrary. Finally, there are people whose behaviour is generally characterised by acting emotionally accentuated "parts" as if they were stage players. Be that as it may, the value of the patients' own statements is mostly overrated compared with the objective findings, and usually no comparison is attempted with the multitude of "normal" shoplifters.