The Myth of Sisyphus

The stories of mythology, like the Myth of Sisyphus, allow us to understand universal intellectual concepts. The myth of Sisyphus is part of it because it is the story of a man punished by the gods, condemned to roll a huge rock to the top of a mountain. However, once he reaches his goal, he falls back and serves his sentence perpetuating this cycle of the absurd.

Why does Sisyphus have to push a boulder from the base to the top of  a mountain but every time it reaches the top, the boulder then rolls back to the base of the mountain, and this for eternity?

Guilty of numerous misdeeds but above all of having repeatedly deceived Zeus, Sisyphus is locked up in Hades and condemned to an eternal effort. He shall transport a boulder over a mountain that inexorably falls down as soon as it touches the top.

In fact, Sisyphus’ punishment will end up becoming the symbol of any useless action, destined to be thwarted as soon as it is accomplished.

Moreover, the allegory of the Sisyphus myth can also illustrate the condition of men blinded by their own stubbornness. Persuaded to act correctly, they can sometimes close themselves in an endless spiral that will eventually condemn them.

Therefore, when we are blind to the lessons that life teaches us, we can be our own obstacle to change.

However, mistakes often offer us opportunities “A person who does not fail has never tried anything new”. This quote from scientist Albert Einstein perfectly expresses the indispensable nature of these vectors of change. 

On the other hand, these “negative attitudes” are exactly what we need at a point in time before we realize that this state of mind no longer suits us.

In addition, we shall start questioning ourselves, to be able to make the adjustments that may help us meet our expectations.

When we become aware that our mistakes are not obstacles but opportunities to learn, then we start the path towards the achievement of the dreams of our life. We open our eyes and grow. 

Moreover, this is what leads us to enter within our true self and its never-ending mutations. Pushing ourselves into its entrenchments and the emotions they provoke in us allows us to access our real state of existence and we move away from our old habits.

What is the main obstacle in your life towards towards the achievement of your dreams?

How to Identify a Narcissistic Personality

The common definition of narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one’s idealised self-image and attributes.

Narcissists are people who believe be unique, superior to others and masters of a wonderful existence that no one can imagine. As a result, they may be bully and arrogant. They need constant admiration and always want to be the best. Therefore, they may become extremely competitive. In their view, they are the only ones capable of achieving results in life.

They also think their experience is more valuable than that of others and feel they need to set an example for those around them. They do not do it to give advice but to be at the centre of the attention. Because of that, their social relationships deteriorate fast and they need new people to admire them, even if, over time, they will be left alone.

The world of narcissists is small, it is limited to what they think and do. In their their mind there are echoes of their thoughts. They do not listen to others because they don’t care about anything. Their greed for admiration leads them to believe that there are no ordinary events happening in their life, their existence is just wonderful and successful.

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Envy prevails in their personal and social relationships, both what they feel about others’ success and what they think other people feel about their fantastic life.

Caution is the norm if a narcissist approaches you, because they want to excel and they will not hesitate to crush you. They are the worst acquaintances you can have because their lack of empathy makes them unable to help and support.

They live in a parallel reality, in a dream world where they want to exert power over others. Whatever they do is addressed to achieve success at any costs.

They have a vivid imagination that leads them to lie often, and they may tell amazing things they have done, even though they are difficult to prove. Remember that they cannot fail, failure does not belong to their world.

Narcissists need to hide their flaws and turn their insecurity into a false security. In order not to show their vulnerability, they will do anything necessary, such as talking excessively, changing the subject in order to shift attention to them, and belittle others by pointing out their flaws.

Narcissists are control freaks and try to bring every situation to their own ground, where they feel safe. If they are managers, they will micromanage.

They must constantly feel euphoria not to show their discomfort, because the narcissistic person do not want to feel frustrated. A common way to avoid frustration is addiction, whether it is shopping, alcohol, drugs, sports, sex, or gambling.

Another characteristic of narcissists is that they tend to take advantage of others. For example, they will partner with well-positioned people to earn their trust and use them to help them grow. They will also take credits of others’ success to advance their career or social ladder.

Narcissists master the subtle art of manipulation. They are always on an alert mode, ready to redirect those who try to say or do something they do not like, or that does not allow them to show their greatness and power in front of others.

If after reading this article you think you are a narcissist, don’t worry as a true narcissist will never identify with these traits. For a narcissistic person, aspirations are never excessive. If they are the centre of attention it is because they think they deserve it. It is ridiculous for these people to try to identify themselves in any profile. The narcissist is unique, in no way you can compete with him or her.

Have you ever dealt with a narcissist?

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