Beyond The Ontology of Snark-Spliting And Projective Identification From Infancy To World Politics

In my previous diary, The Ontology of Snark: A Prelude, I presented a basic outline of ego defense mechanisms, and their progression from primitive to mature, even sophisticated.  But I also noted the existence of a couple of anamolies-splitting and projective identification-and promised to say more about them in a future diary.  Well, the future is now. In contrast to the ego defense mechanisms, the these two processes first appear before the ego is formed, even before a clear sense of "me" and "not-me" exists, and play import roles in the process of early development out of which the stabilized ego emerges.  However, that is hardly the end of them.  Rather these mechanisms persist throughout the developmental process, and indeed, throughout life.  Projective identification has been associated with a wide range of mature phenomena; it has been seen as the foundation of empathy, as well as being the basis of the therapeutic relationship-...