Vanity And Ambition 2/2

People are wont to obscure this situation by substituting the better-sounding word ‘ambition’ for vanity or pride. Think how many people you know who pride themselves on their ambition! The concept ‘energetic’ or ‘active’ is also frequently used. So long as this energy is actually useful to society we can admit its value, but all too often the terms ‘industry’, ‘activity’ and ‘energy’ are only used to cloak an inordinate degree of vanity.

Vanity quickly inhibits individuals from playing the game according to the rules. Very frequently it makes them disrupt other people’s games. Thus those individuals who are unable to satisfy their own vanity are often to be found striving to prevent others from enjoying their own lives to the full. Children whose vanity is still growing show off their bravery in dangerous situations and delight in showing weaker children how powerful they are. Other children who are already discouraged to a certain degree will attempt to satisfy their vanity with all manner of incomprehensible pettinesses. They will avoid the main arena of work and attempt to satisfy their striving for significance by playing a heroic role in some sideshow of life that takes their fancy.

The people who are always complaining how bitter life is, and how badly fate has treated them, belong in this category. They are the ones who would have us believe that if only they had not been so badly educated, or if some other misfortune had not happened to them, then they would be leaders. They are constantly making excuses for keeping back from the real firing line of life; the sole satisfaction for their vanity may be found in the dreams they create for themselves.