The active-egoism vs. passive-altruism
binary.
On one hand the egoist feels that power is
inside himself and attempts to express this power through conquering
(possessing, controlling) the external world (people and things).
On the other hand the altruist feels that
power is outside herself and attempts to express this idealization through
loving (merging, resonating with) the external world (people and things).
The egoist has various ego ideals of glory
that are connected to different fixations of aggression as well as impulses
that haven’t been inhibited in their aims.
The altruist has various ego ideals of
harmony that are connected to different fixations of affection as well as
impulses that haven’t been inhibited in their aim.
The egoist experiences defusions from his
ego ideals as compulsions. For example, he must compulsively work and prove
himself (proto-phallic) or compulsively think and fly off into tangents
(proto-anal). He has lost contact with or defused from the other he sought recognition
from and lost the ability to receive self-esteem from his achievements or
understanding.
The altruist experiences defusions from her
ego ideals as resignations. For example, she must resign having her own
opinions and projects and support those of her object (proto-phallic) or resign
her bodily pleasure into feeling dead and out of contact with others
(proto-anal). She has lost contact with or defused from the self she sought
love from and lost the ability to receive self-esteem from her devotion or
mimetic sense.
The egoist individuates by diminishing the
power of the self and forming identifications with new masters to take on
knowledge or skill.
The altruist individuates by diminishing
the power in the other and forming identifications with others to increase
wisdom or art.
At the Oedipus complex the egoist wants to
castrate the father and take away his woman or his work and with too much
signal anxiety he’ll have this reversed upon himself (i.e. self-castration) and
masochistically spoiling his own success (Reik). This can lead to his return to
the first ocular instance of separating self from other in Oedipus blinding
himself to overcome the external world.
At the Antigone complex the altruist feels
castrated by the father and that he doesn’t approve of her sexuality or
self-assertion and with too much signal anxiety she’ll reverse this to the desire
to castrate the father with her masochistic complaining (Reich). This can lead
to her return to the first ocular instance of separating other from self in
Antigone killing herself to overcome aloneness.
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