ABSTRACT
Psychoanalysts, in their discussions about the pathology of their patients, differentiate between theory and practice.
“Now you’ve filled my head with all this theory, but how do I apply it in practice?”
192asks the exasperated psychoanalyst? The disdainful answer might be:“If you’ve internalized all that has been said about narcissism in this book, then you will just naturally apply it in your dealings with your patients.”
Let us say that this is true, but frequently a theory is understood only when its implications are seen “incarnate”. Looked at in this light, we could say that the aim of this chapter is to give us another chance to realize the theory. Frequently I have had the experience, when I have studied a theory, that I have not understood it, and then a chance remark of the author elucidates the whole matter. The purpose of this chapter is the hope that it may contain that “chance remark” for the reader. An even more important reason might be that it may offer the author the chance to understand his own theory.