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Obsessional does not necessarily mean sexual obsession, not even obsession for this, or for that in particular; to be an obsessional means to find oneself caught in a mechanism, in a trap increasingly demanding and endless.
Jacques Lacan
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Obsession can stem from various aspects of life and can trap individuals in repetitive cycles of thought or behavior.

In this quote, Jacques Lacan discusses the nature of obsession, emphasizing that it is not limited to sexual desires or specific objects of fixation, but rather it represents a broader psychological state. He illustrates how being obsessively caught in a pattern or mechanism can create an endless cycle that is difficult to escape, highlighting the importance of understanding the complexities of human thought and behavior.

Themes

ObsessionMechanismPsychologyTrapThought

In practice

Example use cases

In a psychology class discussion about the nature of obsessions.

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Quote by Jacques Lacan | QuoteProject