The concept of Lebanese identity is a highly fertile source of reflection, encouraging us to articulate the idea of self with that of other, of sameness with difference. This inevitably causes a certain conflict. In the light of Lebanon’s recent history, this article explores how different conceptions of identity have resulted in painful confrontations, profoundly modifying visions of what identity implies. We will then go on to analyse the way different groups function from a psychoanalytical perspective, shedding light on the inherent tension between plurality and singularity and the importance of grieving as a way of positioning subjective experience within the framework of inter-subjective constructions.