Narcissism Narcissists are the namesakes of the legendary Greek boy that fell in love with his reflection in a fountain. Narcissus was so enamored with the face in the fountain that he confessed his feelings of love. The boy waited for a response that never came. Narcissus stayed by the fountain unable to eat or drink, eventually dying. The myth of Narcissus is a good illustration of the damage that total self-love can do to a person. There is a misconception about narcissistic people. This confusion is the belief that narcissistic people are in love with themselves, but according to the DSM-III criteria published in 1989, the narcissus is not in love with HIMSELF, but is in fact in love with his