Try Moving Series - Vanity

Vanity has become so common that we hardly recognise it as the emptiness that it is. The appearance of what is has become more important than what “it” truly is. We aspire for empty titles, we celebrate false achievements and we flaunt crestfallen relationships. Without fulfilling the “it” that is our true aspiration, we continue to yearn to fill the emptiness that the vanity has left us with.

Physical

Why do we seek beauty? Not because it ‘looks nice’. Rather because beauty is the visual expression of health and strength. A strong and healthy body sends a message that we can be relied upon, we can carry the burdens of those who are weak, we can pull up those who are struggling. It is up to us to highlight the strengths and the skills that we have, to shine on our beauty so those around us can know how they can rely on us. When we all offer our strengths and beauty in all their wondrous forms, it makes us stronger as a society. However, only shining on the “appearance” of beauty is deceitful in its invitation to allow others to depend on qualities which we cannot not offer.

What are we willing to do for the appearance of our health and beauty? Are we taking action to actually manifest the strength of our skills and abilities or are we only adjusting their appearances? Are we truly reliable as the anchor that we are offering to those around us, or are we weakening them with our false offers of support?

Emotions

Why do we feel and display emotions? Emotions serve as a moral guide, another “sense” by which we gather information about what is important to us. We display these emotions as a physical outlet to our emotional experience. The display of emotions also serves as a message to those around us of what strengths we can offer them, as a warning to those wanting to hurt us and as an initial raw appeal for help. Vanity of emotions is expressing emotions that we don’t really feel, or displaying them in a way that we don’t really mean, in order to please those that are watching. Forcing a hysterical laugh when we are bored inside, forcing a desperate cry when we are mildly inconvenienced, shouting threats when we are scared inside. People can sense the incongruity, and are unlikely to respond to those displays in a manner that we’d expect.

Society has created an expectation for certain emotional expressions to be expressed in certain situations, you don’t have to go along. Society has created an expectation for specific expressions for each emotion, that aren’t necessarily congruent with how you express your emotions. Be mindful of how you are expressing the emotions of your life – are those the emotions you are feeling or is it a vain expression to please society’s demands? Be mindful of the circumstances that bring about such an emotional response – does revealing these emotions serve you as a call for help, a warning to those who may harm you or an invitation for others to be with you, or does it leave you vulnerable as mere entertainment for those around you that are expecting such a response?

Social

Social vanity is committing to relationships and expressing our affections for the sake of impressing those that are watching. The bond, or lack of it, between our hearts and the hearts of others has little importance in these relationships. As social beings we seek out a connection to the world through our relationships with other people and nature around us. If these are not genuine relationships then, like a loosely tied shoe, we will detach from the body of people and nature around us and be left in aimless solitude.

Are we choosing relationships that look to be advantageous for our reputation or that are good for our hearts? Are we investing in the relationships according to what society dictates is the way to declare our affections or are we paying attention to what the person whom we care for actually needs and wants? The more genuine we are in our relationships, the stronger the bond to the world at large. Vanity in our relationships will leave us drifting and lonely with a weakened heart.

Displays of beauty, displays of emotions, displays of affection have all become so commonplace, it is hard to recognise if these are genuine or are our token to the world of vanity that has taken over the this age. Go against the vanity – work for your health and share your strength, you are beautiful, genuinely so! Acknowledge your emotions and display them insofar that it helps you, protects you and brings you close to others, your heart is beautiful, genuinely so! Be authentic in your relationships, create a bond of mutual offers of strength and support, and together let’s make a beautiful world, genuinely so!