Narcissus

Narcissus admiring Narcissus

Narcissus was the son of the river-god Cephisus and the fountain-nymph Liriope. He was well known in his hometown of Thespiae for his handsomeness. Despite having many admirers he scoffed at them and tended to be by himself. His haughtiness would eventually lead to his demise. After Ameinias, was shunned by Narcissus he became so troubled that he killed himself, but not before calling on the goddess Nemesis for revenge on Narcissus. Nemesis then cursed Narcissus and he was made to fall in love with his reflection in a river. He immediately became obsessed with his reflection staring at it for so long that he began to grow weak. Eventually, he was transformed into a flower by the nymphs.

Malignant narcissism or Narcissistic personality disorder is diagnosed by displaying extreme and unhealthy self-interest and or admiration. A narcissist of this kind does everything to look better than others and to ensure to themselves that they are especially important because they actually have low self-esteem. While Narcissistic personality disorder is unhealthy there is a there is nothing wrong with healthy narcissism. Healthy narcissism is experienced by most people and can encourage positive behaviors such as hygiene and healthy dialogue. Everyone can experience negative narcissistic behavior. However, someone with Narcissistic personality disorder doesn't usually feel regret for any selfish acts they commit.


Narcissism was identified as a mental disorder by Havelock Ellis in 1898. It was named after Narcissus, because of his arrogant personality and how he fell in love with his self-image. Children go through a phase of Narcissism but it is only considered a disorder when it persists or reappears after puberty

Given Narcissus' story, this is the perfect name for the personality disorder. In the story his self-obsession leads to his death and the selfishness of a narcissist leads to their self-destruction in many ways as well.

 -Vincent Gaddis II

https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-difference-between-narcissism-narcissistic-personality-disorder/

https://www.theoi.com/Heros/Narkissos.html

https://psychcentral.com/lib/narcissistic-personality-disorder-vs-normal-narcissism/

https://www.britannica.com/science/narcissism