Narcissism Himanshu Vaidya

Philosophers who write books on humility never forget to mention, the name of the author -Cicero

Narcissism The myth of Narcissisus Narcissism – Narcissist, Megalomaniac, Self Obsessed Narcissism – Freud Freud – Primary, Secondary Narcissism Narcissism – Pathology, Resistance to healing

Narcissism: What is it? Excessive love of oneself Grandiosity Excessive self care (hypochondria) Lack of concern for others Manipulating others for one’s objectives Hungry for praise, admiration Inability to sustain deep intimate relationships Prone to narcissistic injury and rage Idealization and De-Idealization Narcissism is not absence of object cathexis but of object relations in the real world

Narcissism: Some approaches Freud Klenien Kohut Esteem regulation Existential

Kernberg and Kohut Psychoanalysis is the preferred therapy for narcissism Classical Approach – Kernberg Inferiority - Grandiosity Reality Self Psychology approach – Kohut Normal Developmental failure

Self Psychology approach Grandiosity to Reality Fixation at Grandiosity owing to lack of mirroring, idealization, self-object needs, twin-ship needs Narcissism is arrest of development which can be reinitiated and completed Self Pathology – Defect vs. Deficit

Narcissism in Everyday life Let us recollect people we know Defending a point pointlessly Our behavior in certain social situations Behavior of successful people in society (Officers, Doctors, Politicians) Narcissism and Leadership Narcissism and Art Narcissistic Artists Narcissism in Art creations (Characters, Songs)

Narcissism and Healing They don’t come to therapy They eject out of therapy when their narcissism is touched In therapy they refuse to relate In therapy they attack the process of healing lest someone may heal them They guide therapy Therapy is long term and involves intense depression and anxiety Is Narcissism involved in most pathologies?

Narcissism Pathology and Productivity Narcissism for productive research Narcissism for art G B Shaw, Kierkegaard, Kant, Heidegger, Freud, Jung, Davanloo, Hitchcock, Modi Is there something called Healthy Narcissism?

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