Narcissus was the son of the nymph Liriope and the river god Cephissus. He was “impossibly handsome”. Naturally, with beauty comes many romantic advantages, which Narcissus always rejected. One day, he was walking near a pool of water and saw his reflection. When he laid his eyes upon his reflection, he immediately fell in love. For the rest of his life Narcissus stared at his own reflection and eventually drowned due to staring at his own reflection for too long. At the place of his death, a flower emerged which is now known as a narcissus flower. Decades later, his name influenced a psychological disorder: Narcissism. The reason people develop narcissism varies, but it is usually because of the way their parents treated them.   
           

            To begin, a narcissist is defined as “an individual showing symptoms of or affected by narcissism such as an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance or a person affected with narcissistic personality disorder”.  When you wake up in the morning to brush your teeth, you usually look in the mirror for a few seconds then go about your day. A narcissist would stare at their reflection for an extended period of time admiring their beauty. This is just one of the many symptoms that narcissists display. A narcissist will also demand all attention be displayed on them. They usually do not care about other people and always have their own interests in mind. Think of the narcissus flower. It shields itself from the world, making it seem like it only likes itself.   

           These symptoms can even start at an early age. Whenever a parent spoils their child with riches, these behaviors start to pop up. Parents usually do this to cover up their lack of affection and instead of showing their affection through actions, they show it through material objects. Sometimes these parents might even praise their child for everything their kid does. Therefore, the child starts to develop a false sense of reality and an image of themselves that is not true. The opposite can also be true. If a parent neglects their child and neglects them, their child can develop narcissistic tendencies as they grow up. These children find it easier to suppress their negative emotions caused by upbringing. As a result, they might develop an unrealistic image of themselves as a coping mechanism.   

           One of the most famous political figures that has showed symptoms of NPD or narcissistic personality disorder is Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler terrorized Jews from 1939 up until his death in 1945. Growing up, Adolf Hitler’s father would abuse him and his family. His father found children troublesome and had a short temper. Just like many victims of abuse, Hitler might have felt “powerlessness and helplessness” when he was a boy. When Hitler grew up, he developed narcissistic tendencies making him think that he was better than everyone, to the point where he thought he was the only one who was right which resulted in him proceeding to kill millions of Jews. Even though Hitler was not officially diagnosed with NPD, he did display many narcissistic tendencies, and it would be an educated guess to assume he had.  

             In conclusion, not all narcissists are narcissists because of one single reason that they all share. However, when looking at studies, usually their first symptoms can be linked to their childhood as a result of their parenting. As researchers dive deeper into this topic more questions arise, leaving us hungrier than ever for answers.