– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Way before the first selfie,

the ancient Greeks and Romans had a myth

about someone a little too obsessed with his own image.

In one telling,

Narcissus was a handsome guy wandering the world in search of someone to love.

After rejecting a nymph named Echo,

he caught a glimpse of his own reflection in a river,

and fell in love with it.

Unable to tear himself away,

Narcissus drowned.

A flower marked the spot of where he died, and we call that flower the Narcissus.

The myth captures the basic idea of narcissism,

elevated and sometimes detrimental self-involvement.

But it's not just a personality type that shows up in advice columns.

It's actually a set of traits classified and studied by psychologists.

The psychological definition of narcissism is an inflated, grandiose self-image.

To varying degrees, narcissists think they're better looking,

smarter,

and more important than other people,

and that they deserve special treatment.

Psychologists recognize two forms of narcissism as a personality trait:

grandiose and vulnerable narcissism.

There's also narcissistic personality disorder,

a more extreme form, which we'll return to shortly.

Grandiose narcissism is the most familiar kind,

characterized by extroversion,

dominance,

and attention seeking.

Grandiose narcissists pursue attention and power,

sometimes as politicians,

celebrities,

or cultural leaders.

Of course, not everyone who pursues these positions of power is narcissistic.

Many do it for very positive reasons,

like reaching their full potential,

or helping make people's lives better.

But narcissistic individuals seek power

for the status and attention that goes with it.

Meanwhile, vulnerable narcissists can be quiet and reserved.

They have a strong sense of entitlement,

but are easily threatened or slighted.

In either case, the dark side of narcissism shows up over the long term.

Narcissists tend to act selfishly,

so narcissistic leaders may make risky or unethical decisions,

and narcissistic partners may be dishonest or unfaithful.

When their rosy view of themselves is challenged,

they can become resentful and aggressive.

It's like a disease where the sufferers feel pretty good,

but the people around them suffer.

Taken to the extreme,

this behavior is classified as a psychological disorder

called narcissistic personality disorder.

It affects one to two percent of the population,

more commonly men.

It is also a diagnosis reserved for adults.

Young people, especially children, can be very self-centered,

but this might just be a normal part of development.

The fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

describes several traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder.

They include a grandiose view of oneself,

problems with empathy,

a sense of entitlement,

and a need for admiration or attention.

What makes these trait a true personality disorder

is that they take over people's lives and cause significant problems.

Imagine that instead of caring for your spouse or children,

you used them as a source of attention or admiration.

Or imagine that instead of seeking

constructive feedback about your performance,

you instead told everyone who tried to help you

that they were wrong.

So what causes narcissism?

Twin studies show a strong genetic component,

although we don't know which genes are involved.

But environment matters, too.

Parents who put their child on a pedestal

can foster grandiose narcissism.

And cold, controlling parents can contribute to vulnerable narcissism.

Narcissism also seems to be higher

in cultures that value individuality and self-promotion.

In the United States, for example,

narcissism as a personality trait has been rising since the 1970s,

when the communal focus of the 60s

gave way to the self-esteem movement

and a rise in materialism.

More recently, social media has multiplied the possibilities for self-promotion,

though it's worth noting

that there's no clear evidence that social media causes narcissism.

Rather, it provides narcissists a means to seek social status and attention.

So can narcissists improve on those negative traits?

Yes!

Anything that promotes honest reflection on their own behavior

and caring for others,

like psychotherapy or practicing compassion towards others, can be helpful.

The difficulty is it can be challenging

for people with narcissistic personality disorder

to keep working at self-betterment.

For a narcissist, self-reflection is hard from an unflattering angle.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
narcissism /ˈnɑːr.sɪ.sɪ.zəm/ C1	noun - The professional or technical term for extreme self-centeredness.
myth /mɪθ/ B1	noun - An ancient story or legend.
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - To feel strong affection. noun - Strong affection or deep attachment.
reflection /rɪˈflek.ʃən/ B1	noun - An image that bounces back light, like in a mirror or water.
narcissist /ˈnɑːr.sɪ.sɪst/ C1	noun - A person with extreme self-centeredness.
grandiose /ˈɡræn.di.oʊs/ B2	adjective - Impressive but not practical; pretending to be important.
vulnerable /ˈvʌl.nər.ə.bəl/ B2	adjective - Easily hurt or harmed physically or emotionally.
attention /əˈten.ʃən/ A2	noun - Notice or interest given to someone or something.
power /ˈpaʊ.ər/ A2	noun - The ability to control people or things.
entitlement /ɪnˈtaɪ.təl.mənt/ B2	noun - A feeling that you deserve special rights or treatment.
empathy /ˈem.pə.θi/ B2	noun - The ability to understand and share another person's feelings.
disorder /dɪˈsɔːr.dər/ B1	noun - A medical problem that affects someone's mind or body.
genetic /dʒəˈnet.ɪk/ B2	adjective - Relating to genes or inheritance from parents.
environment /ɪnˈvaɪ.rən.mənt/ A2	noun - The natural world around us, or conditions for living.
psychotherapy /ˌsaɪ.koʊˈθer.ə.pi/ C1	noun - The treatment of mental illness by talking to a therapist.
obsession /əbˈseʃ.ən/ B2	noun - A state of being completely preoccupied with something.
dominance /ˈdɒm.ɪ.nəns/ B2	noun - Control or influence over others.
extroversion /ˌek.strəˈvɜːr.ʒən/ C1	noun - The personality trait of preferring social interaction.
admiration /ˌæd.məˈreɪ.ʃən/ B1	noun - Respect and approval for someone's abilities or qualities.
self-centered /ˌselfˈsen.tərd/ B2	adjective - Caring only about yourself and your own needs.

Key Grammar Structures

• In one telling, Narcissus was a handsome guy wandering the world in search of someone to love.

  ➔ Present participle (gerund) as phrase modifier

  ➔ The phrase "wandering the world in search of someone to love" uses a "gerund" (wandering) after a noun to describe an action, showing what Narcissus was doing.

• Unable to tear himself away, Narcissus drowned.

  ➔ Present participle clause as adverbial modifier

  ➔ The phrase "Unable to tear himself away" is a "present participle clause" functioning as an adverbial modifier, explaining the reason for the drowning.

• The myth captures the basic idea of narcissism, elevated and sometimes detrimental self-involvement.

  ➔ Adjectival phrase with parallel structure

  ➔ "Elevated and sometimes detrimental" uses "parallel adjectives" modifying "self-involvement," creating balance in description.

• To varying degrees, narcissists think they're better looking, smarter, and more important than other people.

  ➔ Comparative adjectives with infinitive clause

  ➔ "Better looking, smarter, and more important" are "comparative adjectives," and the clause indicates the standard of comparison.

• Of course, not everyone who pursues these positions of power is narcissistic.

  ➔ Relative clause modifying a quantified noun

  ➔ "Who pursues these positions of power" is a "relative clause" defining "everyone," adding specificity.

• It's actually a set of traits classified and studied by psychologists.

  ➔ Passive voice with past participles

  ➔ "Classified and studied" are "past participles" in "passive voice," emphasizing the traits rather than the doers.

• They include a grandiose view of oneself, problems with empathy, a sense of entitlement, and a need for admiration or attention.

  ➔ Coordinating conjunctions in a list

  ➔ The sentence uses "and" as a "coordinating conjunction" to join items in a "list," creating a balanced structure.

• Twin studies show a strong genetic component, although we don't know which genes are involved.

  ➔ Concessive clause with although

  ➔ "Although we don't know which genes are involved" is a "concessive clause," contrasting with the main idea.

• In the United States, for example, narcissism as a personality trait has been rising since the 1970s.

  ➔ Present perfect continuous for ongoing change

  ➔ "Has been rising" uses "present perfect continuous" to show a change ongoing from the past to now.

• For a narcissist, self-reflection is hard from an unflattering angle.

  ➔ Prepositional phrase as modifier

  ➔ "From an unflattering angle" is a "prepositional phrase" modifying "hard," adding figurative nuance.