Perfectionism, Interesting Events, Book Updates
Perfectionism and Personality
I've come across this video interviewing Nancy McWilliams:
One interesting little bit was her comment on perfectionism and personality styles.
If you've read her book Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, you might already be sensitized to pay attention to personality dynamics.
As an example, McWillimas mentions the issue of dealing with perfectionism. You need to understand the meaning of perfectionism to help someone:
OCD: You have to be perfect because you’re trying to be good, moral.
Narcissistic: You have to be perfect because you want to look good, not be shamed, have a good image.
Dependent or Histrionic: You have to be perfect because you're afraid of rejection by powerful others.
Psychodynamic Events
One of my Patreons alerted me to two interesting free online events you might also enjoy:
I’ve been thinking about identity diversification a bit recently. This is an event I'm very curious to attend: Becoming a Researcher: The experience of psychotherapists starting a doctorate – could you be next?
Another one might be interersting to understand the time we live in through a Jungian lense: Fundamentalism, Terrorism, and Mindlessness: The Shadow of Thinking
Bookish News
You can find all the details in my Psychodynamic Library, my Notion database of all the books I’ve ever read. Sign up for my newsletter to receive it in your in box:
I'm currently reading Erich Fromm's "The Art of Loving" for our Patreon book club. It didn't catch me on the first 40 pages but now it seems to be getting more interested.
I'm also reading Jessica Benjamins's "Bonds of Love". It's a suprisingly interesting book to read along "The Art of Loving" as it is also about domination, submission, and recognition. It seems to be more psychodynamic rich than Fromm.
I've finished reading W. R. D. Fairnbairn's "Psychoanalytic Studies of the Personality" and it's been such an interesting read! A wonderful way to better understand the beginnings of object relations theory in combination with Melanie Klein's work and a few new interesting concepts. There will definitely be a podcast/video about this but it'll take some time.
I've finished the article "The Neuroscientific Underpinnings of Psychoanalysis" by Mark Solms. Now I'm re-reading it to solidify my notes and understand better. Great combination of science and psychoanalysis.
Best wishes, Alina