Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
07:46
Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
Published on: November 15, 2013
Limitations to the capacity to love
1New York Presbyterian Hospital, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, New York 10605, USA. okernber@med.cornell.edu
The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
|January 4, 2012
Summary
This study explores challenges in forming loving relationships, linking difficulties to psychopathological conditions like masochistic, narcissistic, and paranoid personality traits. Clinical examples show varying capacities for mature love.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychoanalysis
- Relationship Studies
Background:
- Establishing and maintaining loving relationships presents significant challenges.
- These difficulties can stem from various psychopathological conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential and problems in forming and sustaining loving, passionate relationships.
- To examine how psychopathological conditions interfere with mature sexual love.
Main Methods:
- The study is a theoretical meditation based on a lifetime of clinical psychoanalytic practice.
- Illustrative clinical case material is used to demonstrate concepts.
Main Results:
- Interferences with mature love capacity are linked to psychological restrictions.
- Masochistic, narcissistic, and paranoid personality features are frequently implicated.
- Clinical cases illustrate a spectrum of relationship capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Psychopathological conditions, particularly personality disorders, significantly impede the capacity for mature love.
- Understanding these psychological barriers is crucial for improving relationship dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
02:15Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love
We typically love the people with whom we form relationships, but the type of love we have for our family, friends, and lovers differs. Robert Sternberg (1986) proposed that there are three components of love: intimacy, passion, and commitment. These three components form a triangle that defines multiple types of love: this is known as Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Intimacy is the sharing of details and intimate thoughts and emotions. Passion is the physical attraction—the flame in the...
01:27Understanding Love
Love, as a multifaceted psychological construct, encompasses emotions, cognitive processes, and behavioral patterns that play a crucial role in human relationships. It extends beyond attraction, manifesting in deep, enduring connections that influence personal well-being and social structures.Psychological Dimensions of LoveLove differs from friendship and mere liking through its depth and intensity. While friendship is built on mutual respect, trust, and companionship, love involves emotional...
01:23Types of Limits I
Limits are a key mathematical concept for understanding how functions behave as their input approaches specific values, particularly when the function is undefined. They help reveal trends and discontinuities by examining the values a function approaches rather than its actual value.One-sided limits focus on the direction from which a value is approached. When a function behaves differently depending on whether the input approaches from the left or the right, the two one-sided limits may not...
01:24Types of Limits II
When observing how a curve behaves near a specific point along the horizontal axis, there are cases where the curve’s height increases or decreases without limit as the position draws closer to that point. The curve does not settle at any particular value; instead, the values grow more extreme—upward or downward—the nearer they get. No defined value exists exactly at that location, yet the surrounding behavior becomes more dramatic, indicating a sharp change in direction.The values may rise...
01:27Companionate Love
Companionate love is a fundamental aspect of long-term relationships, characterized by deep affection, mutual respect, and emotional intimacy. Unlike passionate love, which is driven by intense emotions and physical attraction but often declines over time, companionate love remains stable and can even strengthen with shared experiences and commitment. Psychological and biological mechanisms underpin this enduring form of love, influencing relationship longevity and satisfaction.Stability and...
01:27The Precise Definition of a Limit
Understanding the formal definition of a limit is essential for precise mathematical analysis. This concept allows us to rigorously determine how a function behaves near a particular point without relying on ambiguous notions such as "getting close." The ε-δ definition plays a foundational role in calculus, ensuring analytical clarity and logical consistency in limit evaluation.The formal definition states that the limit of a function f(x) as x approaches a is L, written asif for every ε >...