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The term "[[narcissism]]" first appears in [[Freud]]'s [[Works of Sigmund Freud|work]] in 1910, but it is not until his [[work ]] "[[Freud|On Narcissism: An Introduction]]"<ref>{{F}} "[[Works of Sigmund Freud|On Narcissism: An Introduction]]," 1914c. [[SE]] XIV, 69.</ref> that the [[concept ]] begins to play a central [[role ]] in [[psychoanalytic theory]].

[[Lacan]] attributes great importance to this [[phase ]] in [[Freud]]'s work, since it clearly inscribes the [[ego]] as an [[object]] of the [[libido|libidinal economy]], and [[links ]] the [[birth ]] of the [[ego]] to the [[narcissism|narcissistic stage]] of [[development]].

[[Narcissism]] is different from the prior [[stage ]] of [[autoeroticism]] (in which the [[ego]] does not [[exist ]] as a [[unity]]), and only comes [[about ]] when "a new [[psychical ]] [[action]]" gives birth to the [[ego]].

[[Lacan]] develops [[Freud]]'s concept by linking it more explicitly with its namesake, the [[myth ]] of [[Narcissus]].

[[Narcissism]] has both an [[erotic]] [[character ]] and an [[aggressive]] character. It is erotic, as the myth of [[Narcissus]] shows, since the [[subject]] is strongly attracted to the [[gestalt]] that is his [[image]]. It is [[aggressive]], since the [[wholeness ]] of the [[specular image]] contrasts with the uncoordinated disunity of the [[subject]]'s [[real ]] [[body]], and thus seems to threaten the [[subject]] with [[fragmented body|disintegration]].

In "[[Lacan|Remarks on Psychic Sausality]],"<ref>{{L}} "[[Work of Jacques Lacan|Propos sur la causalité psychique]]", in {{E}} [1946]. pp. 151-93</ref> [[Lacan]] coins the term "[[narcissism|narcissistic suicidal aggression]]" (''[[narcissism|aggression suicidaire narcissique]]'') to express the fact that the [[eroticism|erotic]]-[[aggressive]] character of the [[narcissistic]] infatuation with the [[specular image]] can lead the [[subject]] to [[self]]-[[destruction ]] (as the myth of [[Narcissus]] also illustrates).<ref>{{Ec}} p. 187; {{Ec}} p. 174</ref>

The [[narcissistic]] relation constitutes the [[imaginary]] [[dimension ]] of [[human ]] relationships.<ref>{{S3}} p. 92</ref>