“Mirrors
are ices which do not melt: what melts are those who admire themselves in
them.”
Paul
Morand
Vanity refers to excessive pride
in especially your own appearance. There are conflicting views with regard to
this topic because some may consider vanity a motivator when it comes to
healthy personal change, while others deem it to be a vice rather than a
virtue. So, where do you stand? Varindra Tarzie
Vittachi said that people may hide their vanity beneath a veneer of humility... but at odd
moments that individual will need the assurance that somehow he/she is still
one of the chosen ones. Maybe it is true that there are no grades of vanity,
only grades of the ability to conceal your vanity. Some conceal it more than
others… Another thing to think about is the view that vanity is the single
quality that is shared by all great individuals. Even though vanity refers to “excessive
pride”, in this sense it will refer to the ability to appreciate your own
worth, and that without this kind of vanity you may never become as great as
those great individuals. Here comes the “but”, because, all of that is okay,
but with vanity alone, you are equally nothing. That is why we should constantly
study our lives, making sure that we are not vain to the extent Enobarbus took
it. In Shakespeare’s play Antony and Cleopatra, Enobarbus said that he
will praise any man that will praise him. Maybe he didn’t understand the
process of introspection so clearly, for it is not in looking at ourselves in
mirrors, but in reflecting on our inner constitution, that we will learn how to
be vain or not, in whatsoever measure.
You’re
so vain,
you probably think this poem is about you;
BUT it’s NOT! So, here is what you need to do,
stop being too vain, by that, you will have much to gain.
you probably think this poem is about you;
BUT it’s NOT! So, here is what you need to do,
stop being too vain, by that, you will have much to gain.
-------------------------------------
∞ -------------------------------------
“Spieëls is bloke ys wat nie smelt nie: wat wel
smelt is diegene wie hulself daarin bewonder.”
Paul
Morand
Ydelheid en spogsiekheid, daardie oordrewe mate van trots en verwondering
op jouself en in jou voorkoms. Let wel, oordrewe… Daar is konflikterende sieninge oor verwaandheid en ydelheid. Sommiges
beskou verwaandheid as ‘n motiveerder as dit kom by gesonde persoonlike
verandering, terwyl andere dit sien as ‘n ondeug, eerder as ‘n deug. So, waar staan
jy wat hierdie debat betref? Varindra Tarzie Vittachi is
van mening dat mense hul spogsiekheid kan verberg onder ‘n skyn-lagie van
nederigheid... maar op ongereelde tye sal daardie individu die versekering
vereis dat hy/sy steeds een van die uitverkorenes is. Miskien is daar waarheid
in die siening dat daar nie grade van oordrewe self-trots is nie, maar wel grade
van kapasiteit om jou oordrewe self-trots weg te steek. Sommiges kan dit inderdaad
beter wegsteek as andere… Iets anders om aan te dink, is die seining dat ydelheid
die enkele “kwaliteit” is wat deur meeste van die groot name in die geskiedenis
gedeel word. Selfs al verwys spogsiekheid en ydelheid na “oordrewe trots”, in hierdie
verband sal dit verwys na die kapasiteit om jou eie waarde te waardeer, en dat
jy nie sonder hierdie sin van eiewaarde, kan groot raak soos ander groot name
nie. MAAR, met ‘n sin van eiewaarde alleen, is jy ook niks, daarom dat dit so
belangrik is om gereeld jou eie lewe onder ‘n vergrootglas te sit. Sodoende kan
jy net dalk verhoed om nie in die mate van selftrots te verval soos die waarin Enobarbus
verval het nie. In Shakespeare se toneelspel Antony and Cleopatra, sê Enobarbus
dat hy enige person sal prys wie hom prys… Miskien het hy nie so lekker die
proses van daaglikse introspeksie verstaan nie, of dalk het hy te veel gefokus
op homself. Hoe dit ookal sy, dit is nie in die kyk na onsself in spieëls wat
verkeerd is nie, maar in die verloor van onsself daarin – soos Narcissus dit
gedoen het. Daar is ook geen fout daarin om selftrots te hê nie, jy is immers
uniek en ‘n mooi mens, maar streef hierdie selftrots na in gesonde mates.
Jy is
so ydel,
jy dink seker hierdie versie is vir jou?
MAAR dit is NIE! So, sluk maar hierdie bitter pil…
jy dink seker hierdie versie is vir jou?
MAAR dit is NIE! So, sluk maar hierdie bitter pil…
en weet
dat oordrewe selftrots jou menswees kan knou.
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