The myth of Narcissus, a beautiful Greek boy who falls in love with his own reflection, gave rise to the term narcissism. However, an alternative version portrays him as mesmerized by a lost love. The story warns against vanity and putting oneself before others, and is important politically in promoting collective government.
Narcissus in Greek myth is a beautiful Greek boy who finds himself so attractive that he falls in love with his own reflection. From this story comes the term narcissism which means to be obsessed with oneself. There are several variations on the Narcissus tale that more or less support this meaning.
An alternative version of the Narcissus myth is that Narcissus had a twin sister whom he loved very much. In some versions he is in love with his sister, which is not uncommon in Greek mythology. The two dress alike and are always together until their sister’s death. Narciso has the opportunity to look at the water after her death and, seeing his own reflection, he believes that she is his sister.
As a result, Narcissus is not mesmerized by himself, but instead mesmerized by a lost love. This myth is somewhat beautiful in the concept that a person literally creates the memories of their lost loved ones and thus keeps them alive. However, Narcissus dwells too long on the water. Narcissus flowers, which often grow near lakes and water springs, are so named to symbolize Narcissus still waiting by his lost sister’s water, and always caught up in the past.
Ovid’s Metamorphoses contains the best known stories. Narcissus is so vain, that he neglects and despises the advances of the nymph Echo. She literally becomes “a whisper of herself” and she can no longer be seen. The goddess Nemesis decides to punish Narcissus for her unbridled pride by making him fall in love with himself. So when Narcissus finds her reflection, she falls in love with it and eventually dies because she can’t leave the source of her admiration for her.
In most of Narcissus’ tales, there is essentially a warning about the dangers of vanity and always putting yourself before others. The film Alfie, for example, is a modern take on narcissism and sexual conquest. The end result, in most tales, is death or epiphany through awakening to one’s relative unimportance in the grand scheme of things.
In both Greek and Roman government, Narcissus is particularly important politically. Since both governments were initially built along democratic lines, the individual has rights but is less important. Indeed the individual citizen who could vote should and should consider the needs of all above individual wishes. The idea of collective government denies narcissism as an individual’s vote only counts once.
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