science

On Narcissism

On Narcissism is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand On Narcissism rather than just read about it. In short: On Narcissism (German: Zur Einführung des Narzißmus) is a 1914 essay by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. In the paper, Freud sums up his earlier discussions on the subject of narcissism, considers its place in sexual development, and looks at the deeper problems of the relation between the ego and external objects, reconsidering the libido theory to draw a new distinction between 'ego-libido' and 'objec…

Key takeaways

On Narcissism belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect On Narcissism to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of On Narcissism from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

On Narcissism (German: Zur Einführung des Narzißmus) is a 1914 essay by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. In the paper, Freud sums up his earlier discussions on the subject of narcissism, considers its place in sexual development, and looks at the deeper problems of the relation between the ego and external objects, reconsidering the libido theory to draw a new distinction between 'ego-libido' and 'object-libido'. The essay is notable for its introduction of the idea of the 'ego ideal', and the self-observing agency related to it, which would later be developed as the concept of the superego. Freud also looks at the concept in relation to his disputes with the theories of Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. One of his motives for writing the essay was probably to propose the concept of narcissism as an alternative to Jung's non-sexual 'libido' and Adler's 'masculine protest'.

Primary and secondary narcissism Freud postulates a universal "primary narcissism" that is a phase of sexual development in early infancy (described in an earlier work as a necessary intermediate stage between auto-eroticism and object-love, love for others). Portions of this 'self-love' or ego-libido are, at later stages of development, expressed outwardly, or "given off" toward others. Largely as a result of his observation of the peculiar nature of the schizophrenic's relation to themselves and the world, he also postulates a "secondary narcissism". Observing that the two fundamental qualities of such patients were megalomania and withdrawal of interest from the real world of people and things, he suggests that: "the libido that has been withdrawn from the external world has been directed to the ego, and thus gives rise to an attitude which may be called narcissism." It is a secondary narcissism because it is not a new creation but a magnification of an already existing condition (primary narcissism).

Ego-libido and object-libido Prior to this essay, the libido theory focused on 'object-cathexes' - the emanations and withdrawals of libido relative to objects and others. Here Freud focuses for the first time on the antithesis between ego-libido and object-libido, noting that "the more one is employed, the more the other is depleted". The most extreme form of object-libido is the state of being in love: at the opposing end of the scale is paranoic fantasy. During the state of primary narcissism, the two forms of psychical energy are yet to be distinguished. It is only when there is object-cathexis that it becomes possible to "discriminate a sexual energy—the libido—from the energy of the ego-instincts".

See also Egosyntonic and egodystonic History of narcissism Narcissistic withdrawal

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with On Narcissism

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what On Narcissism claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to On Narcissism before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about On Narcissism ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of On Narcissism

In research: On Narcissism appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses On Narcissism in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: On Narcissism is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1914 non-fiction books, Books by Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalysis stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for On Narcissism outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study On Narcissism in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what On Narcissism means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain On Narcissism out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is On Narcissism in simple terms?

Why does On Narcissism matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study On Narcissism?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on On Narcissism.