Essay --

Following the publication of the book The Analysis of the Self, Heinz Kohut created a revolutionary theory to represent a new branch of psychoanalysis: self-psychology (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008). The idea of self-psychology is based on a series of adaptations made within adolescence following a general pattern. Firstly, the child must develop the â€Å"self†, which consists of the child’s feelings and thoughts on the surrounding environment. Born with a â€Å"nuclear self†, children are exposed to a â€Å"virtual self† presented by the parental figures. To achieve proper stability and structure, children need to first become narcissistic to develop a sense of worth and permanence, giving way to the â€Å"grandiose self† (Banai, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2005). Kohut proposed the idea of adaptive narcissism (positive) and maladaptive narcissism (negative), two forms of the same narcissistic tendencies (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008). Kohut believed development of the â€Å"self†, being a new adaptation to Freud’s id/ego/superego theory, took place within three axes: the grandiosity axis, the idealization axis, and the alter ego-connectedness axis. The grandiosity axis refers to the child’s ability to preserve a positive outlook upon life and maintain a balanced self-esteem. A normal, healthy adult possesses the ability to pursue ambitious endeavors, present commitment to worthwhile tasks, and retain assertiveness, if this particular axis is well developed; essentially, this axis is the embodiment of the child’s sense of self-worth. The idealization axis coincides with the wants and desires of a person. The ability to sustain a well-balanced goal system is the key to the development of the idealization axis; a normal, ... ...r, certain circumstances reap negative consequences. Generally speaking, such actions occur subconsciously in response to an unspoken bond or admiration for the subject’s mentor. Often times, things, such as physical appearance, vocal tone or attitude, posture, eye contact, distance, and body language, may be mimicked unwantedly. This adaptation usually leads to a charismatic attitude, persuasive dialect, intimate camaraderie, and an overall positive feel to the relationship. Not all things mimicked will be a positive trait, however, nor will the adaptations always be seen as a good thing. Such adaptations may cause an awkward reaction if the mentor is uncomfortable with the situation. The sudden threat of the mentor’s unique nature may be seen as a social faux pa, causing a coldness to creep into the relationship because of the newfound insecurity (Thompson, 2012).