Vanity is known to mankind since ancient times and combines the concepts of pride in religion, star fever in the circles of show business, pride, arrogance in ordinary relations between people. What is vanity, how it affects the person and others - the best experts of human souls - philosophers, priests, theosophists, psychologists, tried to understand.
What does vanity mean?
Vanity comes from the two words "futility" and "glory." IN AND. Dal - the great researcher of the Russian language in the explanatory dictionary explains that such a person's vanity is the aspiration of a certain kind of people for honors, praise, worldly glory, recognition of imaginary virtues. The desire to be the subject of conversation and greed to attention are inherent in people and in modern society.
Vanity from the point of view of psychology
The reasons for conceit are hidden in childhood. Psychologists believe that in the formation of self-esteem, an important criterion is the recognition of the child by the parents, as they assess certain achievements of the child. Excess of praise adversely affects the further perception of oneself as a person, inadequate overestimated self-esteem leads to vanity. Can a person recognize the "stellar disease" in oneself? There are signs of vanity:
- pleasure from flattery;
- the desire to twist events around one's own person;
- aggressive response to any criticism (constructive, non-constructive);
- excessive talkativeness, divergent with deeds (discrepancy between speaking and doing);
- eccentric behavior.
What does a vain person mean?
Perception of oneself as a person is a complex process, connected with emotions by their overabundance or lack on the background of incorrect education when there are no norms and prohibitions and permissiveness develops. A vain person is a bright person at first sight, attracting people's attention. The Austrian psychiatrist A. Adler, spoke of a vain person as being filled to the extent that there is simply no place for others. How vanity manifests itself:
- Showing feelings, thoughts - the internal state can differ from the external manifestation (the goal is to capture as much as possible the audience for attention).
- Humiliation of another person in order to feel superiority (expressed more in women).
- The desire to do good deeds and tell others what "I'm good".
- The dominant need for "star" - without knowing the meaning of activity, a profession in which success is important for a person (success for success).
- Envy in relation to those who have achieved something in life.
Vanity is good or bad?
Any phenomenon has positive and negative aspects. What is human vanity and are there good moments in it - in terms of practical utility? There are more negative moments, but there are also positive sides of vanity:
- helps to achieve success and recognition (especially in show business);
- is the starting mechanism for any human endeavor: study in a prestigious institution, promotion in a career.
What is vanity on the negative side:
- The most important problem of vanity lies in the fact that a person does not benefit society and is only fixated on himself.
- Vain people, it is difficult to be in full relations with loved ones: their puffiness, arrogance and arrogance, they repel people.
- Spiritual development is practically absent, in extreme cases a person can go into a state of megalomania (psychopathology of personality) when he thinks himself omnipotent.
Vanity and pride - what's the difference?
Selfishness and self-centeredness are the field on which pride and vanity are "nurtured." Full orientation of man to himself, his achievements. Vanity is considered a less rude human vice than pride. In vanity, a person can still realize the perniciousness of his "I-positioning", in pride there is a complete disregard for others against the background of glorification of oneself. In all world religions, pride is a grave sin.
Ambition and vanity are differences
The desire of man to be the best in various social spheres is respected. To be a wonderful doctor, a teacher, to take responsibility for your profession with all responsibility and become an example for others is what distinguishes ambition from vanity, where "empty" attention is attracted to one's personality. Ambition and vanity - there is a fine line between them when one quality can go to another: a person thus begins to boast of past merits and how much useful in his opinion he has done for society.
How to get rid of vanity?
As soon as a person realizes that he is in captivity of his own importance and dependence on flattery, recognition by others, he fights for the attention of the team - there is a huge mental and psychological work to overcome oneself. How to deal with vanity - a few recommendations from psychologists:
- Pragmatism is a quality that, within reasonable limits, helps to eradicate vanity and not rest on the laurels of once achieved success.
- Compare your successes with the successes of other people - remember that there is always someone smarter, prettier, more successful.
- Take the example of famous people who, in their success, were not subjected to vanity: Mother Teresa, Mohammed Ali, Keanu Reeves - modest personalities of world renown
- Sharing victories and achievements is that success is due to the participation of other people in the life of a person. Adoption of this fact and gratitude to parents, teachers who meet on the path of life - help to get out of the state of vanity.
- G.D. Roberts is an Australian writer who, in his novel The Shadow of the Mountain, suggested how much useful it can be to find, just sometimes bowing his head and kneeling is a good exercise against vanity.
What is vanity in Orthodoxy?
Why is vanity a sin in the Orthodox tradition? In the famous movie "Devil's Advocate", the hero Al Pacino utters words in which he admits that vanity is one of the sins he loves, the Devil. The soul of the vainglorious man is defenseless against the temptations of the dark forces. Holy Fathers about vanity:
- Vain thoughts come from the Devil, but never from God.
- Vanity is manifested in indignation at close ones, that they live an unrighteous life, instead of being imbued with compassion and asking God to direct a native person to the righteous path.
- Who does and says something for the sake of worldly glory only is vain (Saint Basil the Great).
- The soul of vanity is a pit without water (St. Evagrius).
- Vanity like a rushing wind - waving all the treasures of virtue (St. John Chrysostom).
How to vanquish vanity - Orthodoxy
Vanity is a sin that devours the works of the human soul . Orthodox priests pay great attention to the purity of thoughts and everyday activities - this is a huge effort on the way to God. The struggle with vanity and pride includes:
- humility;
- modesty;
- activities with love and respect for everything;
- the act of good deeds, so that none of the people around him knew;
- prayers for help in getting rid of temptations;
- confession before the priest.