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NARCISSISTIC OBJECT CHOICE IN WOMEN

NARCISSISTIC OBJECT CHOICE IN WOMEN ANNIE REICH, M.D. Freud’s paper “On Narcissism: An Introduction” (4) has a special place within the frame of his work: it is the forerunner of ego psychology. A number of problems which later are dealt with from the point of view of ego psychology are treated here on the basis of the libido theory. Freud distinguishes the choice of objects resembling the feeding mother or the protecting father, the so-called anaclitic type, from the choice of objects which resemble the own self: the narcissistic type. In the above-cited paper, he gives four possibilities. A person may love: (1) what he is himself; (2) what he once was; (3) what he would like to be; (4) someone who was a part of himself. Narcissism means the cathexis of the own self with libido. I use the term “self,” because the state of primary narcissism exists only prior to any ego differentiation, a point made by Hartmann (8). Ilrhat we call secondary narcissism is the later return of object cathexis to the own person. In the above-mentioned paper, Freud says that the instinctual aim in narcissism is to be loved. Most pregenital sexual aims are of this nature. Objects, at that http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association SAGE

NARCISSISTIC OBJECT CHOICE IN WOMEN

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References (7)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
Copyright © by SAGE Publications
ISSN
0003-0651
eISSN
1941-2460
DOI
10.1177/000306515300100103
pmid
13022432
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

ANNIE REICH, M.D. Freud’s paper “On Narcissism: An Introduction” (4) has a special place within the frame of his work: it is the forerunner of ego psychology. A number of problems which later are dealt with from the point of view of ego psychology are treated here on the basis of the libido theory. Freud distinguishes the choice of objects resembling the feeding mother or the protecting father, the so-called anaclitic type, from the choice of objects which resemble the own self: the narcissistic type. In the above-cited paper, he gives four possibilities. A person may love: (1) what he is himself; (2) what he once was; (3) what he would like to be; (4) someone who was a part of himself. Narcissism means the cathexis of the own self with libido. I use the term “self,” because the state of primary narcissism exists only prior to any ego differentiation, a point made by Hartmann (8). Ilrhat we call secondary narcissism is the later return of object cathexis to the own person. In the above-mentioned paper, Freud says that the instinctual aim in narcissism is to be loved. Most pregenital sexual aims are of this nature. Objects, at that

Journal

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association – SAGE

Published: Jan 1, 1953

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