The "As-If" Personality: A Deep-Dive Video

A practical look at key ideas about the "as-if" personality and narcissism, inspired by Susan Schwartz's latest book.

Last month I promised I’d come back with a longer video to complement my interview with Susan Schwartz about her latest book, Imposter Syndrome and The ‘As-If’ Personality in Analytical Psychology: The Fragility of Self. Well, here we are!

In this free-flow talk, I bring a practical lens to some of the key themes in her book through my own experience, such as:

• A deeper look at the manifestation of the “as-if” personality and why it’s hard to tell if someone is truly themselves or not;

• What causes this defence, focusing on childhood experiences including and beyond trauma;

• Disembodiment and relating to the body as an object;

• Winnicott’s five stages of True-False Self and why they’re significant;

• The mother and father of the person who develops this defence;

• What recovery looks like and why it’s worth it;

• The inner void or emptiness;

• Intimacy issues, sex addiction, and porn addiction and why they happen.

You can watch the first 10 minutes for free here to get a sense of what I’m talking about.

The entire video (one hour!) is available below exclusively for paid subscribers. If you’re not one, you could unlock it in a jiffy by singing up to support this newsletter for as little as £5/month or £50/year.

I hope you enjoy this video and I’d love to hear what resonated with you in it, as well as what kind of other themes you’d like me to explore.