Article September 17, 2012 Issue

Actually, it's not all about 'me'

Colleen Douglass

Picture a great-looking guy who is so into his looks that he falls in love with his own reflection when he stops to drink from a still pool of water. Transfixed by his sheer gorgeousness, he can’t move from the spot—and eventually withers away. A lovely daffodil—called a narcissus—sprouts where his body rests.

This ancient Greek legend of Narcissus is a cautionary tale that’s just as helpful and relevant today. The narcissism of this age wears many masks including ego, egotism, conceit, arrogance, vanity, self-love, self-absorption, sensuality, and personal sense. 

No iteration of it is particularly attractive, as one can see from events in the news. From a strongman in Syria to bankers lining their own pockets at the expense of others, to bullying on the Internet, individual evidences of egotism and extreme forms of misguided self-involvement need to be directly addressed with prayer. 

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