What is vanity? It seems to be a disordered orientation of contemplation concerning one’s exterior appearance, addictive preoccupation surrounding the supposed perception of another rational agent concerning that very appearance, and the self adoration of one’s own gifts.
Concerning the first, why is it that one would be concerned about this? It seems that if there is time to contemplate one’s self, then there is certainly time to contemplate anything good that is not yourself. E.g. instead of spending time in front of a mirror, there is time to spend in front of the heavens, a sunset, a forest, a beach, your family, the Breviary, or better yet the blessed Sacrament. Would spending time contemplating these blessings not be better? After all, counterintuitively, it seems like the more we contemplate these things, the more we have to offer to our neighbor, and to the Lord.
Concerning the second, the first seems to lead us to a slave like obsession concerned with controlling the apparent opinion or perception of others concerning ourselves. How ironic is it, that the concern for own image, would not preserve that very image, but quicken its very implosion. You would think that to be concerned with, or to labor for something, then the laboring over ourselves would be a great endeavor, and yet, it seems to paradoxically be the very thing that robs us of peace, liberty, and freedom, and enslaves us with chains of oppressive fretting.
Concerning the last, what does the glory of my strength compare to that of an ape? Or the glory of my quickness to that of a cat? Or the glory of my beauty to that of a constellation on a dark night? Or the glory of my speed to that of a cheetah? Or the glory of my power to that of the sea? These things in their inferior examples fly beyond the greatest of my potentialities. So then, what is there to self adore? What seems to supercede all that I have mentioned is our intellect. Yet, the intellect does not seem to grow from self obsession, but rather the pursuit of wisdom, which is concerned outwardly and in doing so, serves the inward soul.
EAR