In this two‐part paper we explore how, in Western society, intensified consumer culture, playing on feelings of shame and inadequacy, can be seen as reactivating the ‘narcissistic wound’ while the recent growth of information technology increasingly provides access to a global spectacle and a virtual world that offer an escape from reality. This fuels the illusion of immortality and invulnerability to physical/emotional needs. We ask who benefits from this culture of unrelatedness and disembodiment, and what the repercussions are in terms of participation in social life and organized response to global issues. Using material from our practices and from social life, we seek to identify the collective cost of maintaining a disassociation that can permeate not only the therapeutic process but also work, personal relationships and events on the political stage. We consider a view of former president Bush as a narcissistic leader in a narcissistic culture with the Iraq war as a narcissistic misadventure and we present vignettes from the consulting room, Dance Movement Therapy work in Holloway Prison and the academic world of prehistoric archaeology to show how narcissistic behaviours are embedded in many diverse situations in Western society. We ask how the concept of narcissism in our media age can help us understand phenomena such as the rise of fundamentalism, celebrity cults, insatiable aspirations to ‘self‐improvement’, obsessions with ‘success’ and consumer goods, the denial of ageing, the upsurge in cosmetic surgery, body modification and self‐harm as well as growing addiction to alcohol and hard drugs. Finally, we ask how the narcissistic fantasy of self‐sufficiency, the disavowal of loss and the denial of the ultimate non‐discursive reality of death affect our ability to respond appropriately to human injustice and the fragility of our planet. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In psychoanalysis the concept of envy describes a specific defence within an object relational structure that denies the subjectivity, need and entitlement of the other and is the antithesis of gratitude and satisfaction. Yet how far is envy both a representation of a psychological structure which is pathological and a culturally generated phenomenon? Should we not take into account the forces that amplify envy when considering the pathology of our ‘envious’ clients? With reference to social and political dynamics and a clinical vignette, this paper will consider whether envy can be as much a social disease as a psychopathology that requires psychotherapeutic treatment. It will look at three main areas. What are the conditions in our society that increase envious reactions? What are the economic and social consequences of envy, both negative and positive, and what of our own envy in relation to our colleagues and clients? Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In this two‐part paper, we explore how, in Western society, intensified consumer culture, playing on feelings of shame and inadequacy, can be seen as reactivating the ‘narcissistic wound’ while the recent growth of information technology increasingly provides access to a global spectacle and a virtual world that offer an escape from reality, fuelling the illusion of immortality and invulnerability to physical/emotional needs. We ask who benefits from this culture of unrelatedness and disembodiment and what are the repercussions in terms of participation in social life and organized response to global issues. Using material from our practices and from social life, we seek to identify the collective cost of maintaining a disassociation that can permeate not only the therapeutic process but also work, personal relationships and events on the political stage. We consider a view of Bush as a narcissistic president in a narcissistic culture with the Iraq war as a narcissistic misadventure, and we present vignettes from the consulting room, Dance Movement Therapy work in Holloway Prison, and the academic world of prehistoric archaeology to show how narcissistic behaviours are embedded in many diverse situations in Western society. We ask how the concept of narcissism in our media age can help us understand phenomena such as the rise of fundamentalism; celebrity cult; insatiable aspirations to ‘self‐improvement’; obsession with ‘success’ and consumer goodies; the denial of ageing; the upsurge in cosmetic surgery, body modification and self‐harm; as well as growing addiction to alcohol and hard drugs. Finally we ask, how do the narcissistic fantasy of self‐sufficiency, the disavowal of loss and the denial of the ultimate non‐discursive reality of death affect our ability to respond appropriately to human injustice and the fragility of our planet? Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.