Reading has been a habit of mine, on par with drawing and surfing the internet. And one of the things I've read is called The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel that tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the muse of an artist named Basil Hallward, who is entranced by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him. Dorian then meets a friend of Basil's named Lord Henry Wotton, a hedonist, who suggests that the only things worth in life is beauty and fulfillment in the senses.
Realizing that his beauty will fade away someday, Dorian expresses his desire that his painting should age in his place, even selling his soul for that. His wish is fulfilled, and he then pursues a life of sensuality and debauchery.
And like the narcissistic Dorian Gray, the main focus of those with Dorian Gray syndrome is their beauty, and have been said to have turned into heavy users of cosmetic products and surgery in an effort to preserve their beauty and youth. Like the famous Narcissus, these people are obsessed with their beauty, to the point of madness.
In an article by Andrea Zanin titled "Dorian Gray Syndrome", explains how narcissism runs rampant in modren society, and how this leads wo insecurities and to things such as this syndrome.
"Self-loathing ignites the desire for perfection and this, in turn, results in narcissism. Yet there is a distinction between the narcissism associated with DGS and the self-respect which denotes a healthy self-love. The ability to love oneself is a sign of self-respect as well as the admission that life is precious, and it is necessary in order to love others. If one is void of love, “blank” like Madame Zhou, how can one love another?"
Loving oneself has been an issue to people, even now. It's something we can relate to. And as the quote said above, how can we love another if we can't even love ourselves? In our harsh society, it's hard to even feel comfortable in our skin with people judging you, and as such, it's more of an admirable trait to those who feel so.
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