What exactly is the Oedipus complex?

I probably could do a google search on it, but I'm always interested on getting the insight of DUers on certain things.

On second thought, better look it up instead. :)

you beat me to it!
Welcome to DU, anyway

n/t

Poor Oedipus didn't know the woman he was doing the horizontal cha-cha with was his mother. At least that's how I remember the story going, there was no way he could have known.

I know its a nitpick, but that has always sorta bothered me.

but since its a subconcious urge the person doesn't necessarily know it either

the forbidden desire for the mother by the son manifests itself before the son is aware of the societal taboo of incest.

It would have made for a boring drama if Oedipus was four.

the simplified answer is a son who has the hots for mommy.

This is thanks to the satirical songwriter, Tom Lehrer.

From the Bible to the popular song
There's one theme that we find right along
Of all ideals they hail as good
The most sublime is Motherhood

There was a man, though, who it seems
Once carried this ideal to extremes
He loved his mother and she loved him
And yet his story is rather grim

There once lived a man named Oedipus Rex
You may have heard about his odd complex
His name appears in Freud's index
'Cause he loved his mother

His rivals used to say quite a bit
That as a monarch he was most unfit
But still in all they had to admit
That he loved his mother

Yes he loved his mother like no other
His daughter was his sister and his son was his brother
One thing on which you can depend is
He sure knew who a boy's best friend is

When he found what he had done
He tore his eyes out one by one
A tragic end to a loyal son
Who loved his mother

So be sweet and kind to Mother
Now and then have a chat
Buy her candy or some flowers, or a brand new hat
But maybe you had better let it go at that

Or you may find yourself with a quite complex complex
And you may end up like Oedipus
I'd rather marry a duck-billed platypus
Than end up like old Oedipus Rex


http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/oedipusr.htm

Old Tom had that one down. An utterly hysterical song. :bounce: :crazy:

I sing it to my selfwhen I'm in my element, feeding the pigeons in old Mexico. ROTFLMAO

Harrad.

...when Henry Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize. Just gave up. What a loss.

When you attend a funeral,
It is sad to think that sooner or
Later those you love will do the same for you.
And you may have thought it tragic,
Not to mention other adjec-
Tives, to think of all the weeping they will do.
But don't you worry.
No more ashes, no more sackcloth.
And an armband made of black cloth
Will some day never more adorn a sleeve.

For if the bomb that drops on you
Gets your friends and neighbors too,
There'll be nobody left behind to grieve.

And we will all go together when we go.
What a comforting fact that is to know.
Universal bereavement,
An inspiring achievement,
Yes, we all will go together when we go.

We will all go together when we go.
All suffuse with an incandescent glow.
No one will have the endurance
To collect on his insurance,
Lloyd's of london will be loaded when they go.

Oh we will all fry together when we fry.
We'll be french fried potatoes by and by.
There will be no more misery
When the world is our rotisserie,
Yes, we will all fry together when we fry.

Down by the old maelstrom,
There'll be a storm before the calm.

And we will all bake together when we bake.
There'll be nobody present at the wake.
With complete participation
In that grand incineration,
Nearly three billion hunks of well-done steak.

Oh we will all char together when we char.
And let there be no moaning of the bar.
Just sing out a te deum
When you see that i.c.b.m.,
And the party will be "come as you are."

Oh we will all burn together when we burn.
There'll be no need to stand and wait your turn.
When it's time for the fallout
And saint peter calls us all out,
We'll just drop our agendas and adjourn.

You will all go directly to your respective valhallas.
Go directly, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dolla's.

And we will all go together when we go.
Ev'ry hottenhot and ev'ry eskimo.
When the air becomes uranious,
And we will all go simultaneous.
Yes we all will go together
When we all go together,
Yes we all will go together when we go.

Sputter, cough gasp, thunk rt./qIKXZDNzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Pop used to play it when I was a kid. Mom still thinks it was child abuse. :silly:

Sorry to be killing you, LOL.

nt

:evilgrin:

says that a son has to replace his father and dominate his mother so he can have her.

not that he wants his mother or wants sex with her, but that she is the ideal woman

identify with your father and rival with him at the same time, 'cause you want your mother (after you found out that she's missing something). Freud thought that the exclusion of your mother from the world of possible sexual objects, opens the world of objects for you. But this is often "misunderstood" as excluding sex from your existence at all. Oedipus means that you're somehow still caught in this trap. I kill you to replace you or I identify with you to become just like you.
It's much harder to describe for girls...
It's just that vicious cycle of debt: Father is dead, I feel guilty, you 've killed him (This is how fashism in people works).
I'm really "old-fashioned", when it comes to this. I think, Freud was misunderstood by pseudo-progressive people and he was misunderstood by feminists. The way he described our tragedy simply is too hard to cope with for many people. Not to say, that there isn't a justified criticism against Freud, but most of it just falls behind him and doesn't reach him at all.
Hello from Germany,
Dirk

Lot's daughters -- a much more provocative study.

Pull out your bible! :evilgrin:

And everytime we call somebody a Mo-Fo, we pay hommage to poor Oedipus....