Narcissism is an Ugly Thing.

 There was a point that I removed most of the mirrors in the house. My bad? I could no longer stand to watch him strut around naked, stop at every mirror along the way, and strike poses that impressed only him. He would flex his muscles, turn sideways and suck in his belly while pulling his leg up. What's up with that? It was making me physically sick to see his admiration of himself.

  He would say, "Look at me!" "Do you ever see men my age, or even younger men who look as good as I do?" "Don't you want me?"


  How could I? I was tired of the dance and had figured out his game. Why would I set myself up for rejection once again? Besides, the attraction was no longer there. If I had said "yes", which I had done before, he would look at me and start laughing. He only wanted the confirmation of being desired, not the actual act.

Narcissism is an ugly thing.


I made the mistake of putting one mirror back up.  Oh my!

nar·cis·sism

ˈnärsəˌsizəm/

noun

noun: narcissism

1. excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance.

   synonyms:

   vanity, self-love, self-admiration, self-absorption, self-obsession, conceit, self-centeredness, self-regard, egotism, egoism "his emotional development was hindered by his mother's narcissism"

   antonyms:

   modesty

   • Psychology

     extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.
   • Psychoanalysis

     self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.