As we grow from childhood, we are shaped by experiences that create who we are as a human being. Throughout our development, we are faced with desires, impulses, impressions, and an infinite amount of influences in which we choose to act upon or not. The influences that we experience work towards the shaping or influencing of our overall view on life and our self. The libido is a major factor in the self reflection that we possess, as it creates impulses towards satisfaction that we are forced to repress or act upon. We are all working towards an attempt to reach self satisfaction, although with the influences we encounter, this becomes a very difficult procedure as certain influences create conflict between our ideals we have created and the ego which strives for satisfaction.
While reaching towards the development of perfection, we put together our own view of cultural and ethical situations which influence us and create insight into the decisions that we make. Although we are all basically a part of a similar system of influences, some impulses or desires may go un-noticed by one person as the next person has a constant inner struggle with himself, trying to keep his impulses under control. The reason for this is the difference that remains in the ego ideals which people have created for themselves. One person, with strong ethical or cultural influences may shape his mental representation of life around the construct that he has created. As influences or desires enter the subconscious mind, if they interfere or come into conflict with the ego, or the cultural or ethical construct that the individual has created for himself, then they are sublimated or repressed, never reaching the conscious mind. If these boundaries are not constructed, then these impulses are able to enter the conscious awareness and in some cases may even cause an internal battle in the mind of the individual. The constraints are built around the ego ideal which is the ideal created by the person for himself. This construction influences the desires or wishes that the individual decides to give into.
The idea of narcissism comes into place when the ideal ego masks itself with an unrealistic view of perfection or self love. As the ego builds itself up, it creates an image of itself as having all perfections of value. This is often a construct that is created during the attempt to reach self love which is created by the repressed in the form of narcissism. As people develop from childhood, they are often disturbed by the ideas of others and their own critical judgement, since it changes their own views on what it means to retain perfection. Through the attempt to reach an ego ideal of perfection, it becomes impossible to reach the level of self love that has been achieved during childhood. The lack of self love achievable becomes the reason that these narcissistic boundaries are created, which often cause people to become ignorant of things around them, such as the emotions of others. The individual basically becomes so drowned in his own self love that he loses all sense of empathy towards other people.
Narcissism is restricting because it creates boundaries that do not allow you insight outside of your own world. When an influence interferes with an ego ideal, shaping the overall image that we have of ourselves, a cathexis is often created as a projection of hidden desires. Often, this can be a minor flaw, but on occasion, this can create disturbing fetishes or obsessions, such as a lust for shoes. We are all victims of the ego and the restraints it places upon us, but in most cases the ego does not become a problem until it has completely placed us in a state of self pride that limits us from the world.
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