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    How Freud Understands The Concept of Narcissism

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    Eddie Vidija
    Freud introduced the concept of narcissism to describe a type of neurosis involving self-worship and sexual urges directed inward. He distinguished between primary narcissism, which exists from birth as natural self-love, and secondary narcissism, which develops when intimacy with others causes too much conflict and affection is redirected toward the self. Freud theorized that a balance between self-love and love for external objects is necessary for individual and species survival, while too much focus on the self can lead to problems with social functioning and personality development. His work on narcissism remains influential in exploring issues like lack of empathy in modern societies, though it does not provide all the answers to such complex phenomena.

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    How Freud Understands The Concept of Narcissism

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    Eddie Vidija
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    Freud introduced the concept of narcissism to describe a type of neurosis involving self-worship and sexual urges directed inward. He distinguished between primary narcissism, which exists from birth as natural self-love, and secondary narcissism, which develops when intimacy with others causes too much conflict and affection is redirected toward the self. Freud theorized that a balance between self-love and love for external objects is necessary for individual and species survival, while too much focus on the self can lead to problems with social functioning and personality development. His work on narcissism remains influential in exploring issues like lack of empathy in modern societies, though it does not provide all the answers to such complex phenomena.

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    Freud introduced the concept of narcissism to describe a type of neurosis involving self-worship and sexual urges directed inward. He distinguished between primary narcissism, which exists from birth as natural self-love, and secondary narcissism, which develops when intimacy with others causes too much conflict and affection is redirected toward the self. Freud theorized that a balance between self-love and love for external objects is necessary for individual and species survival, while too much focus on the self can lead to problems with social functioning and personality development. His work on narcissism remains influential in exploring issues like lack of empathy in modern societies, though it does not provide all the answers to such complex phenomena.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    58 views3 pages

    How Freud Understands The Concept of Narcissism

    Uploaded by

    Eddie Vidija
    Freud introduced the concept of narcissism to describe a type of neurosis involving self-worship and sexual urges directed inward. He distinguished between primary narcissism, which exists from birth as natural self-love, and secondary narcissism, which develops when intimacy with others causes too much conflict and affection is redirected toward the self. Freud theorized that a balance between self-love and love for external objects is necessary for individual and species survival, while too much focus on the self can lead to problems with social functioning and personality development. His work on narcissism remains influential in exploring issues like lack of empathy in modern societies, though it does not provide all the answers to such complex phenomena.

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    HOW FREUD UNDERSTANDS THE CONCEPT OF NARCISSISM


    HOW FREUD UNDERSTANDS THE CONCEPT OF NARCISSISM

    The idea of 'narcissism' is introduced by Freud. He describes it as worship, which one

    accepts as an entity of sexual urges. He sees a kind of neurosis in narcissism. He also postulates,

    however, that throughout its development, all humans have some narcissistic level. Freud

    distinguishes two kinds of narcissism in his work: primary and secondary (Freud, 1914). In all

    human beings, primary narcissism pre-exists; this kind of energy is prevalent since birth. He

    hypothesizes this should be the sort of narcissism, which makes people love an object. For

    example, the primary narcissism results from a mother expressing her child's unadulterated love.

    Furthermore, he speculates that this energy is the same as that seen in young children. At this

    time in life, children often believe that they are great beings who can perform amazing

    achievements only through words.

    But even so, this primary narcissism is aimed directly toward an object at some time in

    life. This is due to the fact that the individual causes too much conflict. Freud speculates that

    secondary narcissism develops when people turn this affection around (Lone, 2019). This after

    the intimacy was already projected outside to other objects. The result is that a person is

    separated from society and disinterested in others. Freud pretends that such a person has low

    self-esteem. This is because they cannot express and reject the love of others. Such a person is

    also full of despair, guilt and frequently very defensive (Lone, 2019). The reason for this is that

    narcissism leads a person to seek self-protection.

    Freud speculated from different sources about this narcissism in his work. The person is

    driven first by the need to preserve oneself; secondly, the person is driven by the drive towards

    sex, mainly the need to reproduce. These two drives usually are identical during childhood and

    no difference can be made. In essence, because the more "libido" affects others, the less energy it
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    HOW FREUD UNDERSTANDS THE CONCEPT OF NARCISSISM
    gives for self-love "ego-libido." The greater the effect of "libido." Essentially Freud posits the

    object libido as a result of the necessity to ensure the species' survival. Freud argues therefore

    that the love concept is to guarantee the continued existence of the species. He also argues that a

    sensitive balance between the different libidos is necessary for the individual and the species to

    survive. For example, if a person wants to eat, he must have an ego-libido, but he must have

    object-libido if he wants the species to survive. An imbalance happens if the individual receives

    too much energy. It leads to an infection of the individual's personality and to a lack of social

    functioning.

    In conclusion, it is evident that Freud's work has generated much criticism over the years,

    particularly in relation to homosexuality (Michael, 2017). Nevertheless, even his critics are still

    inspired by their own psychoanalytic theories. For example, the present societies are probably

    some of the most narcissistic in history. His work is still relevant today. Many scholars are

    interested in the phenomenon in which young and old people have developed a lack of mutual

    empathy. But Freud can't give all the answers to this phenomenon rather complex work.

    However, the role of the family in the development of individuals into caring members of a

    society raises interesting issues.


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    HOW FREUD UNDERSTANDS THE CONCEPT OF NARCISSISM
    REFERENCES

    Zauraiz Lone, 2019, Freud and the Nature of Narcissism, https://psychcentral.com/pro/freud-

    and-the-nature-of-narcissism#1, (Accessed on 2nd May 2021)

    Shulman, Michael. (2017). Teaching Freud's "On narcissism: An introduction".

    Freud, S. (1914). On Narcissism. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of

    Sigmund Freud, Volume XIV (1914-1916): On the History of the Psycho-Analytic

    Movement, Papers on Metapsychology and Other Works, 67-102

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