Unlike Freud, Kernberg views anaclitic and narcissistic object divisions as irrelevant, and deemed it as devalued or fixated on aggression. Which led to his categorization additions of three types of narcissism: adult narcissism, normal infantile narcissism, and pathological narcissism (Kernberg, 1993). Normal adult narcissism, is deemed as having a healthy level of self- esteem and is due to the existence of healthy object relations. Therefore meaning, the person has experienced several positive relationships early on with caretakers, allowing them to internalize a positive mental concept of self and others (i.e. objects). What derives from this positive object relations is an integrated sense of self that continuously develops. Next, normal …show more content…
Pathological narcissism is divided into regression to infantile narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. Regression to infantile narcissism occurs when the superego has remained infantile, thus resulting to a maintained behavior of childish values and ideals. Lastly, the pathology of narcissistic personality disorder occurs due to self absorbance. Self absorbance is broken down as individuals that show grandiose, fantasize excessively about success in love, beauty,and having influence over others. However, their self-love is unstable and highly relies on the comments and admiration from others. When they are unable to achieve their grandiose aspirations, intense feelings of depression, anger, and worthlessness are shown due to the lack of being able to obtain what they want. This pathology, according to Kernberg, develops from an early object relations in which they have internalized mental images of themselves and of others (Kernberg, 1993). This form of pathology is deemed the most difficult to …show more content…
In Kohut’s school of self psychology, relationships are formulated under the concept of “self object”. Self object is someone who displays the necessary functions in the development of a healthy sense of self. Parents are the major self objects for infants and children. It is important that parents serve as mirrors of acceptance and confirm the child’s attention seeking behavior, in order to shape and develop the basic strivings for the child. In addition to serving as mirrors and objects confirming behavior, parents function as essential models for imitation and thus create a sense of belonging or alikeness between child and parent. Self objects job overall is to serve to build basic structures of the self (skills, ambitions, ideals, etc) so the child builds and consolidates forms of healthy narcissism, which adequately evolves when the parents perform and fulfill these functions (Kohut, 1971). When these processes are no longer being met, narcissistic traits then start to begin (Bosson et al, 2008). According to Kohut, pathology in narcissistic development consequently occurs from failures of integrating self- maturation tools, such as the grandiose self and the idealized parental image. When they are faced with conflicts that cause