The Tragedy Of Narcissism

In Greek Mythology, ‘Narcissus’ was a man of exceptional beauty and arrogance, who spurned all admirers, before falling in love with his reflection in a lake, and seeking to embrace ‘himself’, fell in and drowned.

There are numerous versions of this story, with Ovid’s ‘Narcissus and Echo’ being the most popular. Ovid described Echo, a nymph who was unable to speak, except to repeat the last words spoken by someone else. One day, Echo spotted Narcissus hunting and fell in love with him. Eventually, Narcissus grew frustrated with Echo’s constant repeating of his words, and told her to get lost. This left Echo heartbroken and withered.

The myth of Narcissus has particular relevance to today’s discourse on narcissism. For one, we see somebody who accepts admiration from others, yet never their love. This captures the narcissist’s sado-masochistic approach to relationships, sabotaging themselves and others at every turn, proving to be a hard lesson for all who love the narcissist.

Echo, for her part, represents the codependent who admires the Narcissist in the wilderness, using their false self to ‘hunt after’ narcissistic supply. Echo mirrors the narcissist’s grandiosity back to them, hoping to be loved and accepted by the narcissist in turn. Many ‘Echoes’ are left hurt, traumatised and ‘withered’ after their ordeal with a narcissist.