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A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic | |
Copyright 2008 by K. Ferlic, All Rights Reserved | |
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Narcissism One of the issue that arises in
learning to love the self is narcissism. The question becomes, “Are
we not becoming narcissistic to love ourselves?” The topic, “Self
Love or Selfish Love?” talks to this point of being selfish. As
for being narcissistic, that has a different meaning. Narcissism arise from the concept of the Narcissus. In the story of the Lion Cub in “The Human Condition as Seen From the Creativity Perspective,” the old lion takes the cub to a pond of water and say “Look, you are not a lamb - you are a lion” so the cub looks to see who and what they really are. The image of the lion cub looking into a pond is reflective of the traditional image of the Narcissus from which we get narcissism, excessive self love. It is a very appropriate image for coming to understand who and what we are. The concept of the Narcissus comes from Greek mythology and an ancient Greek legend. The Narcissus was a youth who caused the death of the nymph Echo who "wasted away until only her voice was left" because Narcissus spurned and rejected her love. Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and justice or vengeance caused Narcissus to fall in love with his own image in the water, his reflection in the world. The youth became so mesmerized by his own image until he grew thin and weak. He longed so deeply for the image of himself until he wasted away longing for that image until he died and changed into the Narcissus. What is important to note in this story from the creativity perspective is the nymph has traditionally been seen as a feminine divinity residing in the forests, mountains and groves. The nymph is reflective of the external world which calls us forth to love and be loved by it. In some ways it is like the muse. Additionally in regards to the Narcissus story, the nymph is reflective of the gift we carry can be given to the world and needed by the world as represented in the love and attention that could have been given to the nymph Echo. The masculine mind as reflected in the ego can become so self absorbed with its own reflection in the world that it rejects what the world call forth from it and within ourselves to give to the world. To give what the world calls forth in us requires us to step out of mind and the ego and surrender to the call. If we reject the call for what we have to give, the world before us dies only to become an echo, a voice calling us out but that seemingly lies within our own being. However, what calls us does not lie within but it is external to us. In becoming absorbed within and preserving the ego we have created, we, in turn, become the narcissus and waste away in our owe self absorbed love. Rather than realizing the voice that calls us forth lies external to us to give our gifts to the world, we hear the voice as within, that is something to be fulfilled within ourselves, and allow our mind to determined how we satisfy that voice by seeking something in the outer word to satisfy the voice within rather than giving to the world. Often individuals have a longing in their heart and seek a beloved in the outer world either a physical person or some manifestation of God. However, the longing in one heart is only the echo of the external world calling the individual’s creative spirit to come out of their self absorption and be true to their nature to give the gifts they incarnated to bring. As long as one tries to satisfy a beloved felt from within they will be self absorbed in ego. It is here we face a dilemma. In
many ways to access the depth and breadth of our
creative power,
especially our
unlimited creativity we will have to become somewhat
narcissistic. We must become so self absorbed in our love and long
for our own truth of who and what we are such that we do what the
Narcissus did. We need to cause our current
ego and who and what we think we are to pine and wither away in
that longing. It does not matter if we long for our
beloved, the
Beloved, our external
muse or the free unfettered expression of the
creative spirit within our being or whatever it is we wish to
create. We must die and be reborn. We must become the
phoenix. Related topics The Password Protected Area provides access to all currently posted (click for current loading) Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity related discussion files and applications. |
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