Breakdown and Refusal: A Palestinian’s Reflection on Loss and Liberation

Winnicott’s “Fear of Breakdown” as well as his chapter on “Ego Distortions in Terms of True and False Self” (Winnicott, 1965, 1974), verbalize a reality I have lived. Winnicott’s “Fear of Breakdown” explores the idea that individuals fear a psychological breakdown that actually occurred in their past but was never fully processed or acknowledged consciously, leaving unresolved trauma that causes ongoing distress. In his theory of “Ego Distortions in Terms of False and True Self,” he describes how individuals create a “false self” to adapt to environmental failures and meet external expectations, often at the expense of suppressing their genuine “true self.” This leads to a disconnection that impedes authentic expression and causes deep identity and fulfillment issues.

The World Order and the Global Holding Environment

In exploring Winnicott’s concepts within a broader socio-political framework, we see a stark parallel between his psychological theory of a “holding environment” and the global mechanisms of international law and human rights conventions. Ideally, these international structures should function as a global holding environment, providing the necessary safety and stability for communities to develop and thrive.

However, the reality, as seen through the lens of necropolitics, reveals a more sinister dynamic. Achille Mbembe’s analysis of necropolitics allows us to understand that these failures are not merely oversights but are components of a systematic approach employed by states to exert control over life and death (Mbembe, 2003). This deliberate undermining of the global holding environment, particularly evident in the handling of the Gaza genocide, exemplifies how powerful nations manipulate these structures to sustain geopolitical dominance, effectively deciding the survivability of marginalized populations. By linking Winnicott’s theory with necropolitical practices, we uncover how the internati