On narcissism. Mishima Yukio. Translation

Abstract

A woman lingers before a mirror, putting the finishing touches to her face. She then dresses and adds accessories and, voila, after a last careful look to check the result, finally makes an appearance. We call this a woman's narcissism and assume it to be her second nature. However, does the woman before the mirror really see an image of her own face? Can we say that she actually views her own true self? I can't really tell. It would seem, however, that nature is quite concerned to ensure that women do not see their true faces. And while this vigilance might surprise, we can only assume that nature has good reason to act in this way.