Psychology: Freud Understanding of Narcissism (Essay Sample)

Freud Understanding of Narcissism
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Psychology: Freud Understanding of Narcissism
Sigmund Freud described narcissism as self-adoration based on one's status as a sexual object of desire. He sees narcissism as a type of neurosis, and he believes that all persons do have the level of narcissism at some point in their lives. Primary and secondary narcissism are two forms of narcissism identified by Sigmund Freud. Primary narcissism, he claimed, preexists in all humans; this form of energy is present at birth (Segal & Bell, 2018). He claims that this is the form of narcissism that drives people to have feelings for an object. This fundamental narcissism, for example, is manifested when a mother exhibits unconditional love for her child.
Furthermore, he believes it's the same form of energy seen in young children. At this age, children frequently imagine themselves to be superhumans capable of achieving incredible feats simply by speaking. However, it produces considerable internal tension; this fundamental narcissism is focused outwardly on an object at some time in their lives. Secondary narcissism, according to Freud, emerges when people turn their object adoration back on themselves. Secondary narcissism happens when the affection has already been extended outwards to other items. As a result, a person becomes estranged from society and uninterested in others. According to Freud, such a person will also have low self-esteem. This is related to the inability to communicate love to others receive it in return. Furthermore, such an individual is filled with shame, guilt and is frequently defensive. This is due to narcissism's tendency to seek self-preservation.