We admire and envy celebrities because they supposedly lead the perfect, pain-free life we want for ourselves.
What We Mean When We Use the Word ‘Love’
We use the word “love” to describe a number of different emotional experiences. A closer look at those uses can shed light on the varieties of love and how much actual regard they entail for a separate person.
Love in the Face of Hatred
Love in the face of hatred is what good parents give to their children, and what therapists in some way must feel for their most troubled patients.
Hatred and Anger for Your Therapist
It’s the job of a therapist to tell clients about truths they’ve been avoiding; because this stirs up pain and discomfort, they sometimes react with anger and even hatred.
A Psychodynamic Perspective on Idealization
A fantasy that life should be perfect and goals achieved without effort often lies behind procrastination, the inability to set goals, and different forms of artistic inhibition such as writer’s block.