Drowning in Our Own Reflections

The Greek goddess of revenge, Nemesis, punished him by leading him to a pristine pool of water, cursing him with an agonizing unrequited love for his own reflection. There, looking into his own eyes, Narcissus died of starvation and heartbreak. Years ago, this story would have appeared far-fetched and laughable, but as youth culture grows more self-obsessed and imperious, the tale begins to feel more like an allegory than a myth. 

The truth is, Narcissus was never punished for loving himself—he was punished because his self-love got in the way of his ability to love others. In this way, his self-absorption mirrors the selfishness that I increasingly see reflected in our generation's values. 

Simply put: We have become too content putting ourselves first when others are in need. This can be seen in the abuse of the behavioral limits we call "boundaries," a term presented often on social media as a form of self-care.

One example of this is a kind of "cut-off game." It has become common to "protect your peace" or even exile parts of your inner circle because they are no longer catering to your every whim.

Altruism, in its miniature form—merely inconveniencing yourself for the sake of others—is progressively losing its place in our society.

The disappearance of these small acts of care can leave us feeling increasingly isolated. We have all felt this at one point in our lives. In fact, it happened to me this past summer with my sister. I was going through a distressing period. However, due to her self-instituted bedtime of 8:30 p.m., she would not rally and be there for me when I needed her most.

This is not to say that boundaries aren't important—they often allow relationships to grow in a manner that is safe and comfortable for each individual. It's easy, however, for the line between what makes people feel safe and what is actually just impractical for them to get blurry over time.

Another aspect of Narcissus's story—his vanity—is also reminiscent of the superficial ecosystem I see on social media. As harmful 'looksmaxxing' trends continue to grow in popularity, it is becoming harder to distinguish between the myth and its modern equivalents. Narcissus sacrificed his own livelihood, starving himself, in order to perfect his image of himself.

I can't help but draw parallels between his self-starvation and the off-label use of Ozempic to promote unnecessary weight loss, peptides to promote muscle growth, and "bone smashing," people repeatedly striking their own faces with knuckles or hard objects in an attempt to make their facial bones thicker and more angular.

So, when did this shift appear? A lot of it has to do with social media and a constant need for validation from our peers. Right now, when attractiveness and material items are met with immense praise online, it is hard to avoid a desire to "improve" oneself.

Still, although times may look bleak, there is hope. If we look inward and ask ourselves what we really value in life, we can begin to shift our definition of self-improvement outward, toward acts of kindness. By doing this, we could even use this craze of personal development to benefit society.

If trends of helping others and fostering generosity flooded the For You page, would our obsession with narcissism be as extreme? We need to start treating the myth of Narcissus as the cautionary tale it is.

Even if our generation's path continues to converge with the tale, let's not forget the moral of his story: Excessive pride and vanity only lead to destruction and isolation, fates that even the most self-obsessed would like to avoid.