ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the therapeutic approach that seeks to undo immersion in the vicissitudes of the self. Psychological conditions and emotional distress make a different kind of sense when viewed through the lens of the economic system. The market system fosters a particular form of identity—identity based on achievement rather than on belonging. When the ever-shifting situational awareness turns into fixed judgments about the worth of self, people get pathological self-evaluation. When they compare themselves to others they easily find someone who is doing better. Comparative or relative failure is a prime source of negative self-evaluation. In order to exit from self-evaluation, the client has to recognize the relevant mental procedures and overcome them. Many different techniques help this process including psychodynamic exploration of the past, meditation and relaxation techniques, and hypnotherapy.
