We usually mean by vanity the desire to look good in the eyes of others, to take a higher place in the career ladder, or to be successful in various areas of life. In some cases, there is a desire for fame or popularity. What are the pros and cons of vanity and how to go beyond it?
How vanity manifests itself
It so happens that vanity is the engine of many achievements in life and can even sometimes launch very useful undertakings for life. For example, thanks to ambitious messages, a person can begin to study, master a profession, defend dissertations, etc.
However, there are several points in vanity that do not allow to speak positively about it, despite some advantages. If a person does something driven by vanity, then he tries first of all for himself, all achievements are needed not as an end in itself, but as a means. To be proud of yourself, to distinguish yourself among others, to receive a calling. This means that the business itself, started with such a message, will at best be useless (after all, there is no purpose to benefit anyone) or even harmful.
You don't have to go far, the example of World War II shows how the desire for superiority can be devastating. But this is a global example, and each individual person who has vanity is differently realized in the world around him.
In this sense, a vain person is rather useless for society, he just has a different goal. If he does something useful, then, in the end, turns it into his own personal benefit.
However, it can also be said that a vain person is useless to himself. Alas, vanity, the desire to distinguish oneself and be proud of oneself does not bring sincere love from others. People can admire, at the most envy such a person, but a vain person is not able to earn a lively emotional response, since his message does not concern this sphere from the very beginning. As a result, our proud man can get the coveted advantages, success, but not more.
How vanity is masked
Not every person, with all his striving, achieves fame, fame and success. There are only a few such people. Much more of those who dream about it, most often without even realizing it, but in real life do not achieve their plans.
Then the opposite of vanity appears in a person - a feeling of oppression. There is a feeling that others did not appreciate that more could be achieved in life and a feeling of dissatisfaction. Usually such a person often dreams, but if it would have turned out differently, if I had been lucky, I would … And sometimes the feeling of infringement becomes a constant emotional background. What is this if not the other side of vanity? After all, if it were not for it, then where would the feeling of infringement come from, there would be no bar in relation to which it would arise.
So there are much more really vain people than meets the eye.
How to go beyond vanity
Many people who dreamed of fame and success in life are quite satisfied with their fate. They have achieved, if not everything they dreamed of, then at least part of what they wanted, and they do not want to change anything in their lives. To which, of course, they have every right.
But what about those who realized that vanity has its drawbacks, perhaps got fed up, wants to go beyond it and establish other relationships with people? After all, there are other options for interacting with others, based on greater respect, sincere participation and receiving deep genuine satisfaction from their activities.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to give specific and unambiguous advice here. Everyone has their own way of gaining experience in this world. It is possible to describe only the general directions in which a person's thinking is changing. First, they begin to recognize not only their own worth and importance, but also that any person is also valuable and important. And secondly, the emphasis is shifted from one's personal gain, achievements and success to the benefits that are really possible to bring to others.
If a person's worldview changes in these directions, then vanity naturally decreases.
