Narcissus fell in love with himself and soon died. At the age of 15, the handsome-faced child was taken by his mother to Tiresias, the seer. In Metamorphosis, Ovid's poem composed around Rome in the 4th century BC, described that blind fortune teller was saying something strange, "If this child does not know himself, he will live a long life."
Furthermore, Narcissus became a grown man. Women and men in love with her, but he did not care about any of them, including the angel of the earth who lived in the jungle and river. One of them was Echo. One day, she saw Narcissus hunting through the fields. Echo was smitten. She followed him wherever he went by stealth. Her love was so burning, like a fire burning the sulfur, but she could only silence. She could not seduce. The angel has been cursed by a goddess. Echo could not talk, she was just able to repeat the other person's voice.
And that was what happened when Narcissus got lost. Narcissus shouted, "Who's around here?". In the bush, Gema was silent, repeating, "Around here?". There's no other word. Whenever Narcissus spoke, only his echo answered. Finally, he called out, "Come, come here, two of us!".
"Two of us!" Echo squealing happily, because it was only the most appropriate sentence to her heart. She came out of the bushes then suddenly embraced Narcissus, but Narcissus avoided Echo. He immediately went away. The angel was embarrassed, sad. Finally she decided to wander away. Her body was so very thin. As narrated in Metamorphosis, her bones became stones. Echo only lived as a lagging voice, a voice that couldn't express its own desires.
Indeed, Narcissus had caused many broken hearts. That was why the goddess Nemesis intended to punish him. When hunting, the handsome man steps directed to a clear trough, surrounded by moss and soft grass. Overheating by the trip and plagued by thirst, Narcissus bowed his face toward the water, wanted to take the water. But when he gazed into the trough, there was "another thirst awakened". A view of the skyline! He was amazed and fell in love with what he saw: a very handsome face. He kissed the shadow of it, then he put his hand into the water. Of course, nothing could be touched.
But Narcissus was still staring. He felt the shadow wanted to be kissed, wanted to get a hug, and always be with him. When he smiled, the shadow was also smiling. When he cried, a shadow on the water's surface was also crying.
And that's exactly as predicted by Tiresias, the fortune teller: when the handsome young man recognizes himself, his age will not be long.
Now, 2000 years later, women, men, nation, religion, and who knows what else, should listen to this story. "Recognize yourself" ("I am him," Narcissus said to himself when looking at his shadow), has a serious illusion.
But, Narcissism has infiltrated into us, often -- in the vague expression of vague -- we feel we have managed to find the "identity", or we want to get it while we always just look at us. Or, to use the words of Ovid on Narcissus : We desire ourselves.
Should we say, in selfie age, in an age when people perpetuate their faces, that narcissism is a short walk to various death? Faces that we see in the mirror (and on camera) are just misleading pictures. Since the boy saw himself there -- in the "mirror stage" -- according to Lacan's psychoanalysis he just actually --- to repeat sentences in Metamorphosis --- captured "passing shadow". Its perspective is "useless". A shape reflected by the glass is actually does not save a part of ourselves.
But what can I say. Since childhood we are shaped by convention, particularly in language and the temporary need to confirm about "me" and "you". There are subjects. There are objects. We also build the world based on illusion. We forget that there's -- in Lacan's words -- "the shadows of ego to move on." We forget, we can identify something just because there's "who-else", "not-me". "Dog" is known as the "dog" because the dog is not "cat", not "deer ", not "tiger ". No definition.
In other words, the dog and I get in shape because we are not alone. Narcissism of identity, in every woman, man, nation, religion, and "I", whatever, forget about this one: Tragedy began when Narcissus was alone on the edge of the lake, even he did not want to be accompanied by Echo.
***
[CZ-lacalifusa 090115]
Furthermore, Narcissus became a grown man. Women and men in love with her, but he did not care about any of them, including the angel of the earth who lived in the jungle and river. One of them was Echo. One day, she saw Narcissus hunting through the fields. Echo was smitten. She followed him wherever he went by stealth. Her love was so burning, like a fire burning the sulfur, but she could only silence. She could not seduce. The angel has been cursed by a goddess. Echo could not talk, she was just able to repeat the other person's voice.
And that was what happened when Narcissus got lost. Narcissus shouted, "Who's around here?". In the bush, Gema was silent, repeating, "Around here?". There's no other word. Whenever Narcissus spoke, only his echo answered. Finally, he called out, "Come, come here, two of us!".
"Two of us!" Echo squealing happily, because it was only the most appropriate sentence to her heart. She came out of the bushes then suddenly embraced Narcissus, but Narcissus avoided Echo. He immediately went away. The angel was embarrassed, sad. Finally she decided to wander away. Her body was so very thin. As narrated in Metamorphosis, her bones became stones. Echo only lived as a lagging voice, a voice that couldn't express its own desires.
Indeed, Narcissus had caused many broken hearts. That was why the goddess Nemesis intended to punish him. When hunting, the handsome man steps directed to a clear trough, surrounded by moss and soft grass. Overheating by the trip and plagued by thirst, Narcissus bowed his face toward the water, wanted to take the water. But when he gazed into the trough, there was "another thirst awakened". A view of the skyline! He was amazed and fell in love with what he saw: a very handsome face. He kissed the shadow of it, then he put his hand into the water. Of course, nothing could be touched.
But Narcissus was still staring. He felt the shadow wanted to be kissed, wanted to get a hug, and always be with him. When he smiled, the shadow was also smiling. When he cried, a shadow on the water's surface was also crying.
"Moron! Why do you try to catch a passing shadow in vain? What you're looking for is not exist anywhere. What you see is just a reflective shadow. There's no part of you in it. It comes to live with you, go with you, if you can go!".Narcissus was gradually conscious: he -- who in love to himself -- did not know what to do. In desperation, his tears dripping. His tears moving the lake's surface. The shadow disappeared. He felt lost. Waiting. Staring. In a state of very tired, he was lying on the edge of the trough. There his death came, closed his beautiful eyes forever.
And that's exactly as predicted by Tiresias, the fortune teller: when the handsome young man recognizes himself, his age will not be long.
Now, 2000 years later, women, men, nation, religion, and who knows what else, should listen to this story. "Recognize yourself" ("I am him," Narcissus said to himself when looking at his shadow), has a serious illusion.
But, Narcissism has infiltrated into us, often -- in the vague expression of vague -- we feel we have managed to find the "identity", or we want to get it while we always just look at us. Or, to use the words of Ovid on Narcissus : We desire ourselves.
Should we say, in selfie age, in an age when people perpetuate their faces, that narcissism is a short walk to various death? Faces that we see in the mirror (and on camera) are just misleading pictures. Since the boy saw himself there -- in the "mirror stage" -- according to Lacan's psychoanalysis he just actually --- to repeat sentences in Metamorphosis --- captured "passing shadow". Its perspective is "useless". A shape reflected by the glass is actually does not save a part of ourselves.
But what can I say. Since childhood we are shaped by convention, particularly in language and the temporary need to confirm about "me" and "you". There are subjects. There are objects. We also build the world based on illusion. We forget that there's -- in Lacan's words -- "the shadows of ego to move on." We forget, we can identify something just because there's "who-else", "not-me". "Dog" is known as the "dog" because the dog is not "cat", not "deer ", not "tiger ". No definition.
In other words, the dog and I get in shape because we are not alone. Narcissism of identity, in every woman, man, nation, religion, and "I", whatever, forget about this one: Tragedy began when Narcissus was alone on the edge of the lake, even he did not want to be accompanied by Echo.
***
[CZ-lacalifusa 090115]
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