Self-Sabotage: How We Try Not to Flourish

by Todd McGowan

Genres: Psychoanalysis, Philosophy

121 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2026

About the author

Todd McGowan is Associate Professor of Film at the University of Vermont, US. He is the author of The Fictional Christopher Nolan (2012), Out of Time: Desire in Atemporal Cinema (2011), The Impossible David Lynch (2007), The Real Gaze: Film Theory After Lacan (2007), and other books.

Reviews

[Electric · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to finally make sense of the radical insight that is the later Freud and the Death Drive - exemplified by delving into a subject really everybody can relate to. Clear, concise, hilarious and very insightful.

[leren_lezen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite by McGowan because the big claims are just too sweeping but still it is cute. Liked his understanding of love (and his personal examples of past relationships) the most. I remember I once talked with a fellow PhD who became terrified when I tried to explain to her why the death drive is one of my favourite psychoanalytic concepts. She even urged me to talk about something else because the death drive gave her bad feelings (which is ofc a prime example of repression of her own darker side). Her research topic is very lovey dovey so I don’t think she can handle facing our massive capabilities for self-undermining. And loved the potential of owning our self sabotage and finding enjoyment in it instead of this constant stream of self-optimising (as if we act in self interest).

[William Yonts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but I think its accessibility hinders the strength of the argument. Idk, I like when an author is nitpicky with the theory. I’d love to hear McGowan expand more on self-sabotage creating a sublime negativity in the world; it feels like the crux of his understanding of the death drive lies there. I’m not sure I agree with his perspective that death drive and libido are unrelated; from my understanding, they’re both after jouissance. Still, his examples illustrate the point well enough, even if their anecdotal quality often give off “source: trust me bro” energy

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to read theory but don't think you have the time? Buy this book

Look, I'm an avid audio podcast listener. Always thinking I should read more, but sabotaging that possibility by going to YouTube or my podcast app instead. This is an easy read though. And enlightening. Read it on the bus, read it in bed. I read it in 2 or 3 sittings, but you might in less. Don't sabotage this opportunity. Sacrifice a few bucks, and give self-sabotage a chance. Haha