Alexander, Hephaestion and "twinship"

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hiphys
Pezhetairos (foot soldier)
Posts: 191
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2012 2:59 am

Alexander, Hephaestion and "twinship"

Post by hiphys »

"Psichologists give the label "twinship" to the relationship that lies behind friendships of this intensity. Twinship can be viewed as a special form of narcissistic link, protecting an individual from feelings of dependency and helplessness. Clinical research has shown that in the "alter ego" of the twinship experience, the "other" is experienced as being just like the self....[ ] Hephaestion, as alter ego, became Alexander's sounding board, playing an important, affirming role in the king's life. The "mirroring" he provided gave him a dose of psychological security. The two of them spent lot of time together, philosophizing on life, sharing ideas, and discussing the future, so we can assume that Hephaestion was of great assistance in helping Alexander to overcome his occasional bouts of self doubt and depression. Likewise, we can also assume that he played a very important role in reality testing, confirmation of self, and the attainment of insight."
(Are Leaders Born Or Are They Made? The Case of Alexander The Great, by Manfred F. R. Kets De Vries with Elisabeth Engelau. New York (Routledge) 2018, chap. 8, p. 80).
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