Some people may love looking at themselves, others may not enjoy it as much, however there is one extreme case. According to ancient myths, Narcissus was a young man known for his beauty, when one day he goes to a river for a drink, but is mesmerized by his own reflection. He then falls in love with his own beauty until his death. The myth states that even to this day he is still staring at himself in the River Styx. The poem Narcissus at 60 by Linda Pastan provides a new section of his story about what would happen if Narcissus had never fallen in love with himself. Pastan’s poem is a brilliantly written poem and provides ideas of non-narcissism to the world.
First off, this poem shows that if Narcissus had survived to 60, he would deny that
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Although not on such an extreme level, narcissism is still apparent even today. Countless selfies are taken and posted to social media daily, showing just how self-obsessed current generations are. There is a point where the love becomes too great, once again apparent in Narcissus’ story. Narcissism along with any other type that becomes too intense leading to addiction, which usually never ends well, because “love casts a primal shadow,” (Pastan 11-12). The mentioned shadow hides everything imperfect from the lover, creating a picturesque model that may not be apparent to everyone else. If someone tells the lover such news, their world could be broken. That is why many people in today’s society are at a risk of narcissism, some other extremely intense love, or are already there. The poet creates a fictional event based upon an ancient myth that gives the reader, and further society, a taste of just how entranced a person can become by looking at something seemingly so simple, their reflection and it’s effects on the person. In this case, for Narcissus, it is death. This poem proves once again that being modest and humble sometimes better.
In sum, Linda Pastan’s Narcissus at 60 exemplifies the terrors of narcissism, just how ignorant a person can get, telling the reader that loving yourself too much can only take you so far in life, literally, just ask Narcissus. Today’s
There is no perfect character. Even the strongest character who seems invincible have a flaw. Whether it be a minor flaw or a major flaw. Sometimes, that flaw alone is can contribute towards a happy ending, or in other cases, it can lead to the character’s sorrow. Major character flaws are often seen in tragedies. In “Theseus’s Habitual Letter Entries” is my creative work directly inspired by Theseus by Edith Hamilton. It summarizes Theseus in a satirical way. Instead of illustrating the story from a third person point of view, it takes on a first person point of view by having the story formatted as a diary. The story includes what Theseus is thinking throughout his journey. And his thoughts follow a more contemporary language. This work reveals
A narcissist is one who believes “he or she is ‘special’ and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special” people. They exploit others for their own advantage, lack empathy, and are “preoccupied with fantasies” or ideals that can be unrealistic. They believe they are the “primary importance in everybody’s life”. (“Narcissistic Personality”) Henry James’ theme in his short story, “The Beast in the Jungle”, is about a man, who is so egotistical and self-absorbed that he misses what life has to offer him, in particular, love, because of the narcissistic behavior he is doomed to live a life of loneliness and misery.
Gatsby is shown to be a narcissist time and time again. His relationship with Daisy and how he perceives her as well as his perception later in life shows his narcissism. The way he mistreats others also shows how small-minded he is. Even his condescending manner of speaking shows that his mind set is of one of himself, not of others. When he finally meets his untimely demise his absence of people who care for him illustrates how little he cared for other people. By developing Gatsby’s narcissistic character, Fitzgerald delves into the mind processes of narcissism and helps uncover why people develop this trait.
Classified as part of the Dramatic Personality Disorder, a Narcissistic Personality Disorder is based on the extremity of self-admiration. The origin of the specific personality disorder comes from the Greek root word “narcissism,” which is based on Greek mythology of Narcissus who was a man that fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. The cause of the illness is unknown, however professional mental health doctors believe the condition may be due to how a child was raised. When still in the adolescent years, excessive unconditional or an insufficient amount of love from the parents may be the cause of the disorder. Early signs of the mental illness can be spotted by adulthood. The majority of the people who are diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder show symptoms such as being conceited and garrulous by exaggerating achievements and goals that are unrealistic while ...
What happens when Narcissism takes over a generation? Is that generation the only generation who is affected? A narcissistic generation does not happen on it 's own. Majority of Millennial 's characteristics are negative but not entirely negative. However, Generation Me only values themselves. Their overemphasis on self-esteem is well intentioned but often leads to narcissism. Both terms can be avoided with proper treatment.
Firstly, what is exactly narcissism? The word ‘narcissism’ was derived from an ancient Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was depicted as a handsome young man who adored his looks very much. Many young maidens fell in love with him but he criticizes them for being too ugly for him. One day, he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. However, he accidentally drowned himself as he tried to touch his reflection. Hence, the word ‘narcissism’ is usually depicted as a personality that reflects excessive of self-love on oneself. Individuals who are narcissistic are usually described as somebody who is selfish, snobbish or proud. This is because narcissistic individual processes information obtained differently than others. They believe that they deserve more than others since they think they are more superior in every aspect. Due to their sense of grandiosity, they will do anything in order t...
Today, our culture demands us to be perfect, thin, powerful, successful, smart, extraordinary, but when people begin to try achieving them, we start labeling them as narcissists. The problem is that it is impossible for anyone to please everyone. Brown defines narcissism as simply a “fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose” (22). Before giving out labels, it is wise to practice asking ourselves questions to clear the intentions and reasons of someone’s behavior. For example, teenagers posting pictures of themselves online to gain some attention reveals that the culture has taught them that they are as lovable as the number of likes and comments they get on social media. Negative feedback roots into negative thinking about vulnerability and causes them to shut themselves down and never show their real selves again. Encouraging others to believe that they are perfect as themselves, will plant a positive attitude in them and push them to pursue their goals and visions to fulfill their dream of a happy
Each time a story is told, elements of the original are often changed to suit new situations and current societies, or to offer a new perspective. Over the centuries, Ovid’s tale of "Echo and Narcissus" has been told many times to new audiences, and in the late nineteenth-century, it took the form of The Picture of Dorian Gray. "Echo and Narcissus" is the tale of a beautiful boy who fell in love with his reflection in a pond, and spurned others who loved him because he was so fixated upon himself. As a result of his extreme self-worship and consequent inability to love another, Narcissus perishes. Although several aspects of the original myth are retained in Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is shocking and its characters commit acts that lead to ultimate decay and destruction. By changing elements of Ovid’s original tale, Wilde expands the myth of Echo and Narcissus to express the inevitable punishment and ruin that excessive desire brings.
This myth also parallels with the story of Narcissus and Echo. Both Narcissus and Adonis are troubled with sexuality, therefore illustrating Dorian’s relationship with Sibyl. Adonis avoids Venus and the myth suggests that such behaviour leads to death.
This story gives us a theme revolving around this personality trait. Narcissism is a destructive force to oneself and poisonous to others. Narcissus’ narcissism causes him to waste away, giving up his entire life for a selfish love. His self-absorption becomes his death. His narcissism is poisonous to others as well. He constantly hurts and distresses the men and women seeking his attention. The prime example is, again, Echo. Narcissus’ scorn of her ultimately causes her death. This negativity causes everyone around him to ache, leaving him alone in the end with only Echo’s voice. Narcissism isolates and scars people, just as Narcissus was hateful and alone. The metaphor, “…But while he tries / to quench one thirst, he feels another rise:…,” displays the theme of narcissism and shows that thirsting after oneself only leads to downfall (ln 32-33 93). Said metaphor shows the lust narcissism brings and supports the theme in that the second rising thirst is unquenchable and all-consuming. It proves Narcissus’ cold personality and displays the events leading up to his metamorphosis into a flower hanging over the pond. In the end, this metaphor encapsulates the entirety of the story and the dark themes it
In Jean Twenge’s novel titled, “Generation Me”, she describes “Generation Me” as a group of self-obsessed, overconfident, assertive, miserable individuals. “Gen-Me” cares about what other people think so much they 'll go to great lengths to “impress” their peers. Self-obsession can be viewed as a sickness of the mind. The average person may be oblivious to the fact that 1 out of 6 people are narcissists. “Narcissism falls along the axis of what psychologists call personality disorders, one of a group that includes antisocial, dependent, histrionic, avoidant and borderline personalities. But by most measures, narcissism is one of the worst, if only because the narcissists themselves are so clueless.” - Jefferey Kluger
Krents begins his essay by pointing out to the reader that he cannot see himself, and thus, often has to depend upon the viewpoints of others. He states: "To date it has not been narcissistic." The average reader may not be aware that the word "narcissistic" means, "Excessively in love with oneself." It is helpful for the reader to keep this first observation in mind as he continues through the article, and hears Krent’s descriptions of society’s viewpoints.
This demonstrates how ultimately naive her character is. Still a young girl, Connie decides that she wants the public to see her as a older and sexier version of herself. Everything Connie is doing is very much like what every teenage girl does; hanging out with friends, being rebellious towards family, exploring her sexual identity, and caring too much about what she looks like. These are very common, very human attributes which show how archetypical Connie’s character is of a 20th century teenager. On the other hand, Narcissus is so full of himself that the only thing he loves is his own reflection which is where his and Connie’s story differ greatly. Connie is hyperaware of her beauty because she seeks social validation of her worthiness while Narcissus is beyond that point, he truly loves himself more than the physical beauty of any other nymph. The story of Narcissus stems from a time where there was no distinct separation between being a child to being a man. Perhaps although his story is written to elicit negative feelings toward Narcissus’ heartbreaker ways, maybe Narcissus is trying to find himself just as Connie
Robbins & Judge (2009) describe narcissism as an individual “who has a grandiose sense of self-importance, requires excessive admiration, has a sense of entitlement, and is arrogant.” Poet Tony Hoagland brought up a valid observation in the textbook about the American culture
Following the publication of the book The Analysis of the Self, Heinz Kohut created a revolutionary theory to represent a new branch of psychoanalysis: self-psychology (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008). The idea of self-psychology is based on a series of adaptations made within adolescence following a general pattern. Firstly, the child must develop the “self”, which consists of the child’s feelings and thoughts on the surrounding environment. Born with a “nuclear self”, children are exposed to a “virtual self” presented by the parental figures. To achieve proper stability and structure, children need to first become narcissistic to develop a sense of worth and permanence, giving way to the “grandiose self” (Banai, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2005). Kohut proposed the idea of adaptive narcissism (positive) and maladaptive narcissism (negative), two forms of the same narcissistic tendencies (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008).