Antinarcissism
Antinarcissism is a specific form of narcissistic character that, rather than aggrandising the ego, restricts its scope without diminishing the amount of self-investment involved.
Self-limitation
Christopher Bollas introduced the concept of antinarcissism to describe a self-limiting kind of narcissist who refuse to develop themselves or use their talents,[1] so as to maintain their exaggerated sense of self-importance in defeat. "This anti-elaborative person 'stews in his own juice' and adamantly refuses to nurture himself".[2] The antinarcissist may preserve a hostile, even sadistic, core behind a self-effacing facade of care and consideration for others.[3]
André Green similarly wrote of antinarcissism as a negative narcissism that seeks self-destructively to abolish the ego.[4]
Other Formulations
- Hélène Cixous saw as anti-narcissistic the female internalisation of the male gaze as an alien standard to live up to, as opposed to developing their own selves.[5]
- Fritz Wittels earlier described as antinarcissistic the tendency of two lovers to lose themselves each in the other.[6]