Why Theory
Why Theory
Why Theory
On Narcissism
1 hour 19 minutes Posted Jun 8, 2025 at 5:00 pm.
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Show notes

In this episode (recorded prior to such events as the Trump - Musk breakup and the National Guard being sent to L.A.), Ryan and Todd discuss Sigmund Freud's essay "On Narcissism: An Introduction." Freud's notion of narcissism clashes with the increasingly commonplace idea of narcissism that is largely informed by a pop-psychology importation of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Freud's notion of narcissism can appear, at times, to be a difficult to make relevant relic of an earlier age. Nonetheless, the hosts attempt to draw out the consequences of Freud's theorization in order to unlock a novel way of currently understanding the present day conversation on narcissism.

Val Rohy's book mentioned in the episode.