Narcissism and the Commons: a Tragedy

The Greek hero Narcissus became obsessed with his own reflection

The legend: Narcissus was the son of Cephissus, the river god, and the nymph Leiriope. By the time he was sixteen everyone recognised his ravishing beauty, but he scorned all lovers - of both sexes - because of his pride. The nymph Echo was hopelessly in love but she was hindered by her inability to initiate a conversation. Eventually Narcissus rejected her. She wasted away in her grief to a mere voice. A young man, similarly spurned, prayed that he would love himself unremittingly. The goddess Nemesis answered this prayer by arranging that Narcissus would stop to drink at a spring on the heights of Mount Helicon. As he looked in the water he saw his own reflection and instantly fell in love with the image. He could not embrace his reflection in the pool. Unable to tear himself away he remained until he died of starvation. But no body remained - in its place was a flower. " (Ovid)

The Tragedy of the Commons

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE; Rosenberg, 1965)