In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a handsome young man who rejected all love. One day, he saw his reflection in a pond, and fell in love with the one he couldn't have. His unrequited love made him languish and die, and where he died, narcissistic flowers grew.
The story of Narcissus inspired a late 19th century British health expert, Havelock Ellis, to use the term narcissism to describe a person's tendency to obsess over themselves or their body.
The term was later adopted in the discipline of psychology by Sigmund Freud in the early 20th century to describe self-obsession. Freud later developed this concept in his theory of psychoanalysis to explain individuals who love themselves excessively, and lack empathy for others.
In the age of information technology, narcissism has its place. As more and more vehicles for self-expression emerge, narcissists are turning them into windows for self-expression. Social media like TikTok and Instagram encourage them to constantly show off their perfect lives, and over-curate their self-image.
In the context of human relationships, people with high self-obsession also have a tendency to be the center of attention in their community as well as in their office or company. They see themselves as the main character and tend to have behavioral patterns such as demanding more attention, and deciding things on their own.
This symptom is referred to as Main Character Syndrome (MCS), a term for individuals who like to seek recognition for their achievements, and downplay the role of others.
Narcissism and MCS both involve a drive to be the center of attention, and to feel like the most important person in a situation. For people with MCS, the world revolves around them. They often dramatize situations, feel the need to always be validated, and tend to shift the focus of the conversation back to themselves.
This can disrupt team dynamics and collaboration in an organizational context, due to egocentric attitudes, lack of empathy, and a tendency to dramatize situations. This behavior can lead to an authoritarian leadership style that likes to dictate, or a more passive, yet self-centered style that ignores input from colleagues.
On the other hand, this syndrome can be a defense mechanism to cope with a lack of attention or a sense of worthlessness, where one tries to attract attention to feel more valued.
However, some people may feel isolated, or lose their sense of belonging in a physical community, thus creating a main character persona online to feel that they still exist.
For people who feel like the main character in a story in this office, they need to be engaged in activities that require empathy: listening to other people's life stories, reading biographies, or engaging in social activities. These activities help broaden perspectives and realize that the world is not just about them.
They don't need to be reminded that they are not the main character, the most important person, but help them see that being a main character who can serve, inspire, and be part of other people's stories is something more valuable. The sun may be the center of the solar system, but it doesn't hesitate to share its rays to keep the universe alive.
However, a narcissistic person will get tired of constantly making himself the coolest. He will tire himself out, and in isolation he will languish like Narcissus who died. And of course no narcissistic flower will grow after that, he will just be forgotten.
