I LOVE ME...

Narcissus was the name of a god in an ancient Greek story. According to the story, he was very much in love with his own good looks.He drowned in a pool of water when he leaned over too far to admire his handsome reflection.There is a mental illness named for Narcissus.It is called "narcissistic personality disorder." People with this disorder have great love for themselves, and this coincides with a strong need to be admired by others. Narcissus admiring his own reflection.

 Most people who have a narcissistic personality are very ordinary people.However, they think of themselves as being very important and special. As a result, they often try to exploit others. They expect other people to give them constant attention and to obey their commands. In a restaurant, for example, a narcissist might expect to be seated immediately. He might demand a better table, a special salad, or a sharper knife. Narcissists demand attention from everyone, including their family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers.

On the other hand, narcissists can demonstrate great charm. They smile and flirt. They gossip and tell jokes. They generate excitement with their lively chatter. They like to talk about themselves and often dominate the conversation with stories about their exploits.In these stories they tend to greatly exaggerate their talents and personal achievements.

In fact, when narcissists describe their achievements, they are likely to be lying. Lying is typical behavior for a narcissist, who often tries to impress people with false claims about things he owns or people he knows. He brags that his golf clubs are identical to the ones used by Tiger Woods. He claims to be friends with the mayor and the police chief and the bank president.

This kind of talk seems to reflect great self-confidence and self-esteem. However,psychiatrists suggest that this behavior results not from self-love, but actually from fear of failure and the subsequent shame it would bring.Some say that narcissism results if parents do not comfort young children when they have been disappointed or have failed at something.The children view this as punishment and try to avoid future failure. As a result, they never learn to deal with disappointment or failure.

Other therapists have a slightly different theory. They believe that a narcissistic personality arises when parents try to protect children from disappointment and failure by satisfying all of their demands. This generates in the children a lifelong pattern of expecting that they will always get what they want.

Narcissists do not see other people as human beings but rather as objects that have no feelings or needs of their own. A narcissist believes that the role of other people is to satisfy his needs and to admire him. For this reason, a narcissist seldom has truly close friends. Instead he surrounds himself with people he considersworthy of his greatness.

Oddly, the narcissistic traits that we find so annoying in ordinary people are the same traits that attract us to many entertainers and professional athletes. A recent study found that celebrities as a group are more narcissistic than other people. However, it is not fame that makes celebrities narcissistic; it is the other way around. They were first narcissistic and were then drawn to careers that would earn them admiration from others.

The applause of their fans is a positive message that they are loved and admired. But they may also exploit the media to get attention.For example, they wear show-off clothes and date gorgeous partners. They marry and divorce again and again. They buy expensive cars and drive too fast. Whatever they do, the media report it because the uninhibited behavior and dynamic personalities of the celebrities make them seem exciting.

 All of us have some narcissism, and that's good. Self-love is what motivates people to nourish and protect their bodies, to improve their minds, to learn new skills, and to discover the world in which they live. It is what gives people the self-confidence to share a relationship with others and the ambition to reach for success. However, the self-love of those with a serious narcissistic behavior disorder is so excessive that it overshadows everything else in their lives.