Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-01-31
VANITY AS A WEAKNESS.

Flatterers flourish upon the vanities
of mankind. Few, if any men, are al
together free from vanity, but some of
great parts have their vanity so inor-
dinately developed that it becomes a
source of weakness. They are infiu-
enced against their reason and com
mon sense by their credulity in matters
concerning their own accomplishments
Women are usually taken as types of
vanity because they are fond of dis
play, but the vainest women are modest
when compared with men who are not
so much as conscious that they are
vain. But mans vanity does not as a
rule, run to outward display; it is con-
cealed and very often escapes notice.
Men are vain of their knowledge, of
their power or of the work they have
done, but they are conscious of the
weakness and take fright easily if a
flatterer without tact approaches them.
But there is scarcely any folly their
vanity will not lead them to commit if
the fiatterer succeeds in binding them
to his purposes. Whatever one may
think of Napoleon as a man, no one
denies his intellectual power; but he
was vain, and weaker men frequently
controlled him because of his vanity.
But it is not merely because of the in
fiuence that fiatterers may gain over
the vain that vanity becomes a weak
ness, but because also of it's effect on
the man himself. Vanity is an exag-
gerated view of ones qualities or be
longings, and no man is under complete
self-control unless he knows himself
truly as he is. If he has an extrava-
CANT idea of his attributes, powers or
accomplishments, he has to the extent
of the exaggeration false idea of him
self which may lead him to undertake
work for which he is untitled or make
him appear ridiculous in the eyes OF
other men. Vanity should, therefore
be guarded against as weakness, and
there is no better way of doing so than
by subjecting ones self to a severe ex
animation, with the purpose of learn
ing the exact truth. There is little
danger of any honest man going to the
other extreme. All men should have q
decent self-respect; they should believe
in themselves, for otherwise they viii
have no strength of purpose or charac
ter, but they should stop short just
where self-appreciation begins to de
velop into vanity. A fixed habit of in
trospection made for the purpose Of
finding faults to be corrected will usual
ly correct any tendency to vanity, but
one other caution is to be observed
The society of flatterers should be
avoided. They are always insincere
they offer no useful stimulus to the
mind and they may, if permitted to
carry on their work. lull ones reason
to rest and develop vanity where before
it did not exist. The health giving
companions for ones intellectual life
are the men who regard us as no bet
ter than themselves, and whose criti
cisms, if courteously made, serve only
to develop that fraction by which oul
wits may be frightened. 1t is very
pleasant to be we'll and relieved of al
care, but it is also pleasant and more
healthful to do some hard work in the
open air. so as to develop an appetite
for what one eats. SO, also. it is pleas
ant to be admired or worshipped, but
it is still more pleasant to be apprecat
ed by those whose opinions are worth
having, for such appreciation brings
with it no increase of vanity; it must
be earned, like ones bread, from day
to day.-Bazt. San.