05 Dec The Sociology of Narcissism

Beautifully packaged until you peel back the layers…

History

The term narcissism became prevalent in the 1970s but it originated from the Greek mythology of Narcissus roughly in the nineteenth century. In Western culture, the earliest reference to narcissism was the Narcissus flower; which is actually a daffodil. The flower can represent the coming of spring, rebirth, and renewal. Sounds beautiful, right? Unfortunately, the characteristics of the flower does not represent the characteristics of narcissism. The two are definately polar opposites to say the least.

To further explore where the term originated from, we can look at one version of the poem The Metamorphoses written by Ovid, a Roman poet. In the poem, Narcissus is a character who was loved by many but he never showed any affection in return. One day while getting a drink of water from the river, he fell in love with his reflection. He was obsessed with himself and never left the river. Eventually, his condition took a toll on him and he died at the river.

Social Influences

The personality of an individual is formed from the social components of a community or an environment. It is believed narcissism can shift or breakdown the interdependent dynamic of humanity. So, where does narcissism evolve from? Narcissism can start to develop in children that may have been abused or neglected by their parents. When children aren’t nurtured by their parents, their self esteem doesn’t develop properly. When a child’s emotional needs aren’t met, a narcissistic injury occurs.

In many instances, parents may exhibit narcissistic behaviors or patterns that are inadvertently passed on to their children. The parents have unresolved issues due to their needs not being met in their childhood. As a result, cycles of narcissism are developed and passed down from generation to generation. When narcissistic behaviors aren’t acknowledged and managed, it can lead to a breakdown in the family dynamic and affect society as a whole.

Characteristics of Narcissism

If you have ever encountered someone with narcissistic behaviors, trust me you will know it. Some common behaviors are inflated sense of self, constant need for attention and admiration, sense of entitlement, exaggeration of skills and accomplishments, gaslighting, and superficial beliefs. Narcissistic individuals have difficulty maintaining healthy personal and professional relationships. They tend to lack self discipline and the ability to respect boundaries set by others.

Narcissistic individuals are notorious for playing the victim and not accepting responsibility for their actions. On any given day, they can be calculating, controlling, and manipulative. Jealousy and envy consumes them because others possess the qualities they desire. Interacting with a narcissistic individual can be more trouble than it’s worth. Unfortunately, you never know what to expect from them because they have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. They will play the role that is most fitting for their present situation to gain what they need from others. Reciprocity doesn’t exist in their vocabulary, which leads to unequal give and take.

Conclusion

When you encounter narcissistic individuals, it’s best to run for the hills and never look back. They usually aren’t interested in changing their behavior and they continue to search for others to serve their selfish intentions. From a collective perspective, we have to work out pass hurts and injustices to prevent future generations from being affected. As the saying goes, hurt people, hurt people and that’s simply pouring fuel on the fire.

Seeking professional help can be beneficial in laying the ground work to establish new ways of experiencing life. For example, attending counseling sessions provide a safe environment for individuals to explore and express deep emotional wounds. At the end of the day, we have to be responsible and recognize how our actions can make or break society as a whole. Whether we want to accept it or not, we always have and always will be interdependent.