Have you bumped into any narcissists lately? Apparently there are more of them about, gazing into their ponds and falling in love with their own reflection. In one psychological report, the endorsement rate for the statement “I am an important person” increased from 12 percent in 1963 to around 80 percent in 1992 in adolescents. I can imagine it is up to 100 percent by now. We are all more important and special. 

Person in Black Long Sleeve Shirt and Black Pants Sitting on White Wooden Dock

The original Narcissus didn’t cause too much anguish as he looked lovingly at his own reflection. Only one other creature in the mythological forest came under his spell and that was Echo, a mountain nymph (from Katoomba), who was so sad in her unrequited love of him that she wasted away to nothing more than the sound of her own name. Other dryads and naiads probably walked past in the forest, looked at Narcissus looking at himself and thought “what a dick”. It’s best if possible to just avoid a narcissist and whatever you do, don’t become their pond. 

I became...