Narcissism By Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD
Narcissism
By Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD.
When I give a talk, I may ask; “Will the most important person in the room please rise.” I hope all will stand up. After all, each person is the center of their universe AND as each looks around, they see that they and everyone else is correct.
I might even have everyone sing a rendition of “I’m proud to me be me and I also see, you’re just as proud to be you. We may look at things a bit differently, but lots of good people do… It’s just human nature so why should I hate you for being as human as I. We live as we learn, and we learn as we live, and we all get along if we try…”
Your loving gifts of inner reflection and self-love evoke beauty, vitality, creativity and inspiration when it includes mutual appreciation. Yet beware! If you encounter a narcissist, it’s like being slapped across the chops by a mackerel. They ignore mutual appreciation.
Like Mister Bluster in the Old Maid Deck, their overblown sense of entitlement and self-adulation blots out anyone but self. They do not hear, see or experience your magnificence. A narcissists is so self-absorbed or over-bearing that if you don’t pay attention, they can beat you down to a submissive, co-dependent wimp. So much for any loving, mutual kumbaya moments.
The concept of too much self-centeredness comes from Ancient Greece story of two people you may know Echo and Narcissa. So here goes– Once upon a time, Echo, a beautiful mountain nymph, talked constantly and so distracted others that she was cursed to only repeat the last word heard. One day, Echo saw a beautiful man, Narcissus, fell in love, and followed him.
“Who’s there?” he called out.
“There” repeated Echo as “there… there… there’ drifted off and faded away.
Because he ignoring someone who loved him, Narcissus was then cursed. He came upon a mirror-clear pool of water, kneeled in the cool green grass to drink, and saw his own reflection. “How beautiful this image” he thought and fell in love. He tried to kiss the image, yet, when his lips touched the water, the image faded. Narcissus was so captivated, entranced (and hypnotized) by his own image he became frozen in stillness. He lost all thought of home, food, rest and others… and slowly faded away– just like Echo– Eventually, he turned into the gold and white flower that we call “narcissus” or “daffodil.”
Perhaps the moral of the story is found in the word compassion or empathy and the delicate dance of inner and outer appreciation. I think of it as the balance that makes you, your relationships and life itself better for all. But enough about me… Let’s talk about you… What you think about me?
Dr. Shelley is teaching self-hypnosis to first responders, and taking a group to Sedona April 5-8 for a certification class in
Past Life Regression Journeys.
Dr. Shelley can be reached at: 310 541-4844.
Local Personality, Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD is a hypnotherapist, mindfulness and NLP trainer, artist and the author of 25 books. She certifies practitioners through the International Hypnosis Federation. You can call her at 310 541-4844.
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