Transformations of the superego in contemporary individuals
Abstract
This paper examines the changes in the super-ego and the typical pathologies observed in contemporary clients. It traces the evolution from the conflict neuroses of the Victorian era, in which the ego feared a strict and moralistic super-ego, to the narcissistic culture characterized by narcissistic disorders, self-love, and the narcissistic ego ideal. The paper then explores the shift to a perverse culture, where the super-ego is "dismantled," all values and authorities are undermined, and the exploitation of others, as well as the recruitment of others into one's own exploitation, has become normalized. The paper concludes by raising critical questions about the necessary theoretical and technical adjustments required to adapt psychotherapeutic practice to these emerging cultural shifts.
Keywords: changes, superego, contemporary man