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So Lacan, another like Freud (who we discussed in a previous post) who became famous through his use of coming up with the idea of psychoanalysis.
However that doesn't mean that his work is the definite way to look at the psyche, several other great analysts have built upon the ideas Freud set out n order to fill the missing gaps.
One of these people was Jacques Lacan, he was something of a celebrity in the field in that he had the looks and charm that attracted women and the renown for his essays/transcripts.
Before with Freud we've spoken about the different types of stages that he believed every person went through as they grew and developed well Lacan seems to expand on this idea a bit and helps along the process of us beginning to recognize our identity of who we are through what he called "The Mirror Phase", in this theory during the period of 8-16 months old a child can see themselves in the mirror an begin to recognize themselves through the reflection.
It's this theory too that Lacan begins to develop a new interpretation of us and who we are as people and beings, where he puts forward the idea that we will always be misinterpreted as people as everyone is on the outside of us and can only perceive who we are through that outside shell rather than who we see ourselves as on the inside.
From this he further develops his point by saying this is why we as people are worry overly about this outward appearance, because we fear rejection and loneliness which could come as a result of this outside view and therefore we begin to look at how we can be interpreted by how we look.
With Freud we talk about the development of sexuality through things like the Oedipus complex and observation of relationships around us, Lacan proposes the idea that there is no such thing as a sexual relationship.
Which leads to some pretty interesting ideas further down the line involving the idea that there's no such thing as man and woman. Not just this but also the concept that we truly don't understand anyone and what we call romantic interest or love is instead a series of ideals and fantasies drawn from the world around us and put into a physical form (that being our partner).
Hopefully this has given you a better idea of Lacan's ideas and maybe how Freud influenced his ideas.