Different Personality Disorders: THe Syndrome of Decay

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1. Eric Fromm defined the “syndrome of decay” as the presence of a cluster of three different personality disorders (maximum 25 points).
Eric Fromm discussed three very unappealing and evil forms of personality in psychologically unhealthy people that make up the "syndrome of decay", Necrophilia or the love of death, Malignant Narcissism or infatuation with self, and incestuous symbiosis or the propensity to be constrained to a mothering figure or something that is similar. In my opinion these pathological orientations form the most vicious and destructive personality traits in a human. The attraction to death, and getting a thrill of bloodshed and a neurotic symbiosis with mother figures is morbid. Humans with these personalities have been able to kill millions of people throughout history.
Contrary to "the syndrome of decay" is the "syndrome of growth", biophilia or the passionate love of life, love or love for other humans, and positive freedom or spontaneous activity of a whole integrative personality. These are what make the “syndrome of growth”. However, most people have an average form of personality growth, these syndromes are extreme.

1a. Define and explain the personality disorders present in the syndrome of decay
(max 12.5 points).

Eric Fromm held confidence in that psychologically disturbed people are unable to love or form bonds with other humans. One of His focal points in his studies was the “Syndrome of decay”. Three pathological orientations combine to make up this syndrome.
Necrophilia is defined as any attraction to death. A person with this disorder hates humanity,usually bullies, love bloodshed, havoc, and devastation. They absolutely love talking about people with terminal illnesses or sickness,...

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...love. These neurotic needs usually start in childhood (aggression,affection). A child will “passionately” cling to one parent and feel jealous of another. However, even if their might be several aspects to these behaviors, the child ultimately wants security, and not sexual intercourse.
Karen Horney also found the Freudian concept “penis envy” illogical and if this concept was even brought about so should “womb envy”. She believed sometimes boy’s do express a desire to have a baby, however it is not resulted in universal male “womb envy”.
She did however agree with Alfred Adler in that many women did posses a masculine protest, which means that have a pathological belief that men are superior to women. Which then leads to the neurotic wish to be a man. This is not exactly “penis envy” but it is the “wish to have the masculine privileges and qualities” in our culture.

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