INTRO:

In this episode of The Gorman Limit, Neil talks more about the concepts of negativity as lack (rather than as bad) and the death drive. This episode is a continuation of Neil's work teaching a seminar on doing clinical work with individuals.

CONTENT:

0:00 - 0:11 - I got this song stuck in my head...
0:11 - 5:00 - Introduction. 

• I'm reaching a seminar. 
• In this episode, I'll be talking about the concept of...
  • Negativity
  • Death-drive

5:00 - 20:35 - The Negative Pt. 1 

• Negative does not mean "bad". 
• Negativity as not having. 
• Negative liberty V. Positive liberty.  
• Negative reinforcement v. Positive reinforcement.  
• It is the stuff we don't have that motivates us, more than what we do have. 

20:35 - 28:21 - The Negativity P.t 2  

• Don Draper "Happiness is the thing you have before we need more happiness ."
• Having is good, but we are (generally) more focused on what we lack that makes us do things and stuff. 

28:21 - 37:35 - Death Drive Pt. 1 

• The time before we are born is stress & anxiety-free. 
• Freud says we might want to get back to that. 
• Life is a struggle. 
• If the struggle is enjoyable (if there is jouissance in it) then we desire to continue to live. 
• If the struggle is not enjoyable (if there is no jouissance in it) then we desire to die. 

37:35 - 44:28- Let's try to bring it all together. 

• There can be too much negativity (lack) and that fires up the death drive. 
• The Ethics of Opting out, by Mari Ruti 
• Necropolitics, by Achille Mbembe