You use this word to describe the people who are so into themselves, and are selfish, egoistic and vain. (Think Snow White’s stepmother). Do you know where the word comes from? Narcissus was a young man, who nymph Echo liked. But, he rejected her, and other beautiful young maidens and goddesses. As a punishment, the God Nemesis made him fall in love with himself so Narcissus fell in love with his reflection, one he saw in the water. Makes sense to call anyone who is so self-absorbed narcissist, because looking at yourself as much as he did. He then changed into the narcissus flower since his love did not go anywhere. (Which is pretty by the way)
While we thing people who are narcissist are so vain, and selfish, and may not like them, the Western culture embraces this narcissism. I mean, think of the magazine Vanity Fair, just the name, and if you see the covers in a shopping mall, it’s all of young-‘beautiful’ airbrushed people. Jessica Alba one day gave an interview saying that she was airbrushed and made to look skinner, and not like her real body at all. When young people think some actresses are so beautiful, and try to attain this media created ideal of beauty, they are going to fail, because these beautiful actresses are no longer beautiful enough to be shown naturally. They need to be digitally edited, and makes it increasingly difficult for us to reach this unattainable beauty ideal, because it doesn’t really exist.
And, in the end, those who go in search of beauty, and fall in love with their beauty to the point of narcissism, will end up like narcissus.
By: Jeeva Uthayakumar
Tags: Cafe
