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Antinarcissism

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Antinarcissism is a specific form of narcissistic character that, rather than aggrandising the ego, restricts its scope without diminishing the amount of self-investment involved.

Contents

Self-limitation

Christopher Bollas introduced the concept of antinarcissism to describe a self-limiting kind of narcissist who refuse to develop themselves or use their talents, so as to maintain their exaggerated sense of self-importance in defeat. "This anti-elaborative person 'stews in his own juice' and adamantly refuses to nurture himself". The antinarcissist may preserve a hostile, even sadistic, core behind a self-effacing facade of care and consideration for others.

André Green similarly wrote of antinarcissism as a negative narcissism that seeks self-destructively to abolish the ego.

Other formulations

  • Hélène Cixous saw as anti-narcissistic the female internalisation of the male gaze as an alien standard to live up to, as opposed to developing their own selves.
  • Fritz Wittels earlier described as antinarcissistic the tendency of two lovers to lose themselves each in the other.
  • References

    Antinarcissism Wikipedia