On ideals and idealization.

Full Abstract

This chapter repositions ideals away from their role as defensive structures restraining aggressive and lustful drives (as traditionally viewed) toward their place in shaping creativity and love. We select and mold our particular ideals in providing meaning and in this manner help to create those selfobjects needed to resolve or soothe our needs. This creative process may include "reshaping" of the available object to represent the "idealized other." From this perspective, Kohut's view of idealization and the idealized parental imago will be considered, including my own notion of a one-and-a-half person psychology. Our ideals inevitably conflict and clash, leading to internal self-conflicts that generate what I call the dialectic of narcissism. Narcissism is here considered broadly, reflecting all attributes of self-experience. Shame plays an important role in this dialectic, relating to failure with regard to ideals and to falling short of cherished goals. Ultimately, it is the shaping of, and approximation to, flexible and meaningful ideals that comprise that lofty, ineffable, human ideal--wisdom. Clinical vignettes will be offered to illustrate these themes.

Author information

Author/s: Morrison, Andrew P (AP);

Affiliation: andrewp.morrison(-atsign-)verizon.net

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article

Journal: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Ann N Y Acad Sci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Apr; vol 1159 (issue ) : pp 75-85

Dates: Created 2009/04/21; Completed 2009/05/14;

PMID: 19379233, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/14/2009, IMS Date: 14 May 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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