N for Narcissism

nar·cis·sism
- noun -
1. self-admiration: excessive self-admiration and self-centeredness
2. personality disorder: in psychiatry, a personality disorder
characterized by the patient's overestimation of his or her own appearance
and abilities and an excessive need for admiration.
In psychoanalytic theory, emphasis is placed on the element of
self-directed sexual desire in the condition.

[Early 19th century. After Narcissus]

Nar·cis·sus
noun
Greek youth turned into flower: in Greek mythology, a youth who was
punished for repulsing Echo's love by being made to fall in love with
his own reflection in a pool.
He died gazing at his own image, and was turned into a flower.

nar·cis·sus [naar síssəss]
(plural nar·cis·si [naar sí s] or nar·cis·sus·es or nar·cis·sus)
- noun -
plant with yellow or white flowers: a spring-blooming plant with
narrow leaves that grows from a bulb. Flowers: yellow or white, with
a cup-shaped center.
Genus: Narcissus


The Story of Narcissus

The Alchemist picked up a book that someone in
the caravan had brought. Leafing through the pages,
he found a story about Narcissus.
The alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth
who daily knelt beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty.
He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, he fell
into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower
was born, which was called the narcissus.

But this was not how the author of the book ended the story.

He said that when Narcissus died, the Goddesses of the
Forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh
water, transformed into a lake of salty tears.

"Why do you weep?" the Goddesses asked.

"I weep for Narcissus," the lake replied.

"Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus," they
said, "for though we always pursued him in the forest, you
alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand."

"But..... was Narcissus beautiful?" the lake asked.

"Who better than you to know that?" the Goddesses said
in wonder, "After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each
day to contemplate himself!!"

The lake was silent for some time.

Finally it said:
"I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus
was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my
banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty
reflected."

"What a lovely story," the alchemist thought.

Prologue from the Alchemist by Paulo Cuelho



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~




and my lovelies...
Here is the 'narcissistic' side of me and my mama.
We are about the same age when we did the photos.

We both admire our beauties and for that we take good care of ourselves.

This photo was taken on the same day of the photos of Mama in the
garden. She specially invited a photographer to take some photos of her. She did several sessions! Mama..oh Mama... ckckck..
Oh.. sigh.. how lovely her flowery dress, and her hairstyle...

And the photo of mine, alas, I used my tripod and did my own photos.
Here as you see, I dressed 'so politely',
wearing the pink Kebaya - the Indonesian national dress -
which actually belongs to Mama.
Ya...ya... the Kebaya is older than me.

I promise to myself next time I will go get a photographer
to take the photo of mine, and surely
I will dress up with my mini dress to show off my legs too, just like Mama.



Ok, I leave you now before you get sick of the narcissistic side of me.
Enjoy the 'narcissistic' side of you!
'Smile on my face'


Here is the link for others N:

Ref: Encarta Dictionary