ABSTRACT
Narcissism is not only present in individuals but it also contaminates organizations. One of the ways of differentiating a good-enough organization from one that is pathological is through its ability to exclude narcissistic characters from key posts. One of the ways a person powerfully dominated by narcissistic currents destroys self-knowledge, is by projecting the unwanted aspects of their character—jealousy, envy, sadism, or whatever, and the perfect person into whom the psychotherapist can make that sort of projection is, of course, the patient. For analysts and therapists there is an enormous difference between making an interpretation based on a denial of self-knowledge and making one that arises from a recognition of what is in oneself. It is of no therapeutic value if, when pointing out to patients that they are being cruel, or seem to be behaving in a possessive or jealous way, analysts disown those aspects of themselves.
