Status Updates From La cultura del narcisismo

“20th century people have erected so many psychological barriers against strong emotion, and have invested those defenses with so much of the energy derived from forbidden impulse, that they can no longer remember what it feels like to be inundated by desire.”

“(The narcissist) cannot live without an admiring audience. His apparent freedom from family ties and institutional constraints does not free him to stand alone or to glory in his individuality. On the contrary, it contributes to his own insecurity, which he can overcome only by seeing his “grandiose self” reflected in the attentions of others, or by attaching himself to those who radiate celebrity, power,”

the book starts comparing peoples desires and the erosion of patriarchal authority to freuds psychoanalytic theory. i dont know how to feel about this section of the book, though otherwise the introduction feels very relatable and insightful

Kindle