78

Faithfulness is first of all an ideal in which some people find a select pleasure and that, as such, constitutes a vector for desire. It takes on widely varying proportions according to whether it comes in the form of a Narcissistic need, a utilitarian advantage or a social obligation, but it is truly effective when it constitutes a fundamental ideal inherited from early relationships. This is only possible under certain conditions such as reference to the father, the attachment to certain symbolic objects and esteem for the bond for its own sake. People seeking to establish sustainable pair bonding have every interest in meeting people who share the same ideal while shunning the urge to project it a priori onto the partner, which could prove to be a source of slavery or alienation.