NARCISSUS

Although it may be viewed as a distant ECHO nowadays, the myth of Narcissus is much closer to us today than we might imagine. All young, and not so young, people in our society may consider themselves as being “stricken” by a form of narcissism. Thanks to the evolution of technology, and the fact that it has led to our growing up in a world of selfies, snaps and social networks, today we are all much more concerned to appear under “profiles of extreme beauty and perfection” rather than show ourselves as we really are. In the myth of Narcissus, the prophet Tiresias predicted that Narcissus would live to old age provided “he didn’t come to know himself”. But he was referring to his reflection. What kind of relationship do today’s youth have with their own reflection? Are they ready to come out of their virtual frames and face the mirror of everyday life? Or will we all end up like Narcissus, alone to admire and cherish ourselves?!