today’s mythology lesson
Narcissism describes the character trait of self love.
The word is derived from a Greek myth. Narcissus was a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. As punishment, he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Unable to consummate his love, Narcissus pined away and changed into the flower that bears his name, the narcissus.
Freud believed that some narcissism is an essential part of all of us from birth and was the first to use the term in the reference to psychology.[1]
Andrew Morrison claims that, in adults, a reasonable amount of healthy narcissism allows the individual’s perception of his needs to be balanced in relation to others[2].
In psychology and psychiatry, excessive narcissism is recognized as a severe personality dysfunction or personality disorder, most characteristically Narcissistic Personality Disorder, also referred to as NPD.
The terms “narcissism”, “narcissistic” and “narcissist” are often used as pejoratives, denoting vanity, conceit, egotism or simple selfishness. Applied to a social group, it is sometimes used to denote elitism or an indifference to the plight of others.
Wait … those are bad? Oh no! What would Princess Luciana say? Let me turn to the sacred bible, “The Beautiful People’s Beauty Book,” to find a suitable passage in response.
p. 106:
” When I stepped off the elevator in Houston, along with Italian bag and shoes I was wearing an English dress, Kenny Lane and Bulgari jewels, and French panty-hose. Doubtless my hairstyle was “made in Italy” and so was my makeup, although the technique for the application of the latter may have been suggested by a Belgian specialist. Put them all together, they still spell R-O-M-A-N.
Whatever the components, I meant the effect to be as appealing as possible … why should chic and knowledgeable beauty in any way detract from manners and decency?”
all hail Princess L!
