Wednesday, November 9, 2011

feminine subject

Hysteria is, in my view, by far the most frequent neurosis of the extraverted type. . . A constant tendency to make himself interesting and produce an impression is a basic feature of the hysteric. The corollary of this is his proverbial suggestibility, his proneness to another person's influence. Another unmistakable sign of the extraverted hysteric is his effusiveness, which occasionally carries him into the realm of fantasy, so that he is accused of the "hysterical lie."[Jung, "General Description of the Types," CW 6, par. 566.]

It seems to me this 'be interesting' on Jung's part is the same as 'be loved' on Freud's part and clearly would make the person the centre of attention without his power, his dominance, or his will or beauty being at the core.

It also seems key to me that the masochism involved in the masochistic or feminine subject doesn't pertain to any real self-hate. As Freud pointed out with the melancholic, there is a shamelessness in her self-revilings and the self-accusations are really accusations about the other. Rather the masochism is related to the pain caused by the reduction of the idealization of the Other. To acknowledge truths about the world and have to see it as less magical, and people as less good, and parents as limited and ignorant is painful.

No comments:

Post a Comment