NARCISSISM
The synonyms of narcissism are
self-love, self-admiration and self-adulation.
However, a person who is narcissistic may also be called vainglorious, egotistic,
haughty, boastful and conceited, especially about his physical appearance. A
more dignified word which is used positively as a personality trait is
self-esteem or self-respect.
The word narcissism
has a mythological background. It is derived from the Greek myth, according to
which Narcissus who was a very beautiful young man fell in love with his own
reflection in a pool of water. When he died, he was changed into a flower
called narcissus. In India, this flower is known as Nargis. It is a spring time flower, yellow and white, and
has some varieties including daffodil.
Narcissism, which
signifies excessive love of oneself, is used negatively. It makes the
narcissist autocratic, selfish, arrogant, reserved and introvert. It has a
psychological complication, which, if allowed to remain un-tackled, may create
dangerous situations in statecraft. Such people become dictatorial and reflect
hardly any democratic spirit. Loving oneself too much means treating others,
even one’s colleagues, as inferiors and unequal. Moreover, it is to overlook the hard reality
that physical beauty withers with age. It is not for ever; it is spiritual
beauty which is everlasting.
To love one’s self is not bad; but to
love it beyond moderation is disagreeable. To celebrate oneself is to
appreciate God and to express your gratitude to Him.
The self-love of adolescents is
natural. When they arrive at the age of adolescence, they fall in love with
themselves which is good because if they don’t love themselves, they will love
none else. That’s why indulge in too much self-adornment. But this is a
temporary phenomenon; they outgrow it. A narcissist remains a narcissist for
ever; so, he/she is dangerous in the practical fields of life where he/she has
to deal with large publics.
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