Explaining Freud's Narcissism (Essay Sample)

Narcissism by Freud
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Narcissism by Freud
Narcissism is an extreme admiration of or excessive interest in oneself or one’s physical appearance. Under this topic, Freud focused more on narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), which is a condition that causes individuals to develop overt feelings of self-importance and inflated sense of nonexistent achievements. One of the primary effects of NPD is that it drives one to seek admiration and attention from others while they lose empathy for everyone except themselves (Campbell, 2011). Freud considers love and sex as the leading cause of narcissism. He explains that as one grows from childhood to adulthood, narcissism gradually develops in them. During childhood, one experiences both ego-libido and object-libido. The two components of psychoanalysis represent self-love and love for others. As one becomes an adult, the two narcissistic features should separate and become distinct. However, some people experience a reversion of the object-libido meant for others to themselves. The reversion of the object-libido creates an imbalance between the two components, and it is this in-equilibrium in one that creates narcissism.
The first approach to narcissism by Freud is through a self-reflected sexual admiration. In this context, one develops some sexual desires that make them focus on themselves. Freud noted that everyone experiences limits of narcissism at some stages in their lives, which occur in the form of neurosis. According to Freud, there are two forms of narcissism; primary and secondary narcissism. Primary narcissism directs love towards one’s self or selfless love towards objects. Campell (2011) believes that primary narcissism is natural, and it exists in every human being. Examples of this form of narcissism include a mother's love towards her children and the love that exists among children. Children always express unconditional love among themselves, and they tend to believe that they are some superheroes. They feel they have an entitlement to everything good and can do everything in a snap. Freud encapsulates this form of narcissism in the ego.
Children regularly express love amongst themselves. However, love changes in some of them as they grow. This is because the object of love at the secondary stage is reverted to in them. Notably, such affection is typically projected to others before it bounces back to a person to be regarded as secondary narcissism. The reversion of the object-libido causes one to become obsessed with themselves to the extent of getting alienated from society. Characteristically, such individuals are unable to express their love to others, which lowers their self-esteem (Gillespie, 2018). Such people are also unable to feel the love expressed to them by other people, and they often become openly defensive and seek self-preservation because of the rampant feelings of guilt and shame.
Freud believed that two elements drive narcissists. He noted that narcissists are driven by the overwhelming need for self-preservation and sex drive. In children, these two elements of psychoanalysis are conjoined and expressed in the same manner. However, as