What is the basis for commitment? In order to achieve something in life, you need to be able to set goals and persevere to them, despite all the difficulties that occur along the way. In a sense, vanity is a good quality in order to succeed in life, because such a person always needs proof that he is better than others. But why in this case does religion oppose this character trait? And for starters, what is vanity?
The meaning of the word and its difference from ambition and pride
According to the explanatory dictionary, this quality reflects a person's need to strive for fame and success and a thirst for recognition and a beautiful life. As can be seen by definition, it is peculiar to all people, only in different degrees. The meaning of the word "vanity" presupposes a light and dark side of this human quality. On the one hand, it can force a person to get off the couch and start something actively to do. But on the other hand, vain people often try to seem more than to be. There is this in two cases: if they managed to achieve something in life or, on the contrary, in nothing is unlucky. In this case, they come up with an excuse and look down on everyone, believing in their own unsurpassability. Vanity is a quality that is often accompanied by ambition and pride. Ambition involves the desire to be better than others, and pride makes a person consider themselves better than others, regardless of the actual state of affairs. As you can see, in an optimal quantity such qualities are needed by any person.
Vanity is one of the deadly sins?
As we have understood, this quality has many positive aspects, however, why does Christianity advocate the eradication of such traits in character? To be more precise, even two mortal sins fit the definition of vanity: pride, which makes one despise others and exalt himself, and avarice, that is, Love of a beautiful life. Vanity is a character trait that must be constantly under control, because the line between its positive and negative influences is very subtle. If helping people, you expect praise, and more and more often take offense at criticism, then be careful and do not allow this line of your character to cloud your mind.
Basic Forms of Vanity
Psychologists distinguish two forms of manifestation of this trait in the human character. Intellectual vanity is the self-confidence of a person in his own knowledge, which sometimes reaches the point of absurdity. He simply can not admit his wrong and loves to talk about anything: "I knew it!". There is also spiritual vanity, which is often inherent in people who have decided for themselves to embark on the path of spiritual development. They may begin to feel that only they know the right path to enlightenment. They can not even imagine that perhaps they themselves do not go the right way, but have long been stuck somewhere else in its beginning. In addition, the moralizing of such "pseudo-guides" can discourage the desire to become better with the help of religion from any normal person.