Vanity is also a denial of humility.
Pride (Level of Consciousness 175) is vanity, so it enjoys flattery. Psychologically, vanity is the same as egocentricity in that it is based on narcissism. The problem is a lack of compassion and love for others.
If we pursue this more strictly, pride (Level of Consciousness 175) can be said to be an attitude that refuses to dedicate oneself to God as the 'Supreme Source' of one's own existence. In other words, it means secretly competing with God for control.
Vanity is also a denial of humility.This is because the ego misunderstands humility as surrender, inferiority, or humiliation. True humility has nothing to do with feelings of humiliation.
'I: Reality and Subjectivity (Truth Level 999)' by David R. Hawkins, p. 243
Please explain vanity in detail.
ChatGPT:
Thinking time: 15s
That's a great theme.
I will clearly organize "vanity" from the perspectives of psychology, daily behavior, and practice.
What is vanity?
Definition: A mental movement of wanting to appear better than you actually are, and wanting to prove to others (or yourself) that you are a valuable existence.
Engine: Sense of lack (avoidance of anxiety/shame) + desire for approval (dependence on evaluation).
How is it born?
Sense of lack: The anxiety that "I might not be enough."
Comparison: The habit of measuring superiority and inferiority by comparing with others.
Image investment: Entrusting your value to titles, achievements, a persona of being a good person, or "correctness."
Defense: Hypersensitivity to criticism or being ignored, excessive excuses, attacks, shifting responsibility, or beautification (rationalization/projection).
It manifests in these ways (outward/inward)
Outward: Mounting, bragging, showing off brands/titles, dependence on "likes" on social media.
Inward: Always being conscious of an audience in your mind, inability to apologize, difficulty admitting mistakes, obsession with "I am right."
Mask of good intentions: Using service or spirituality as a "tool for superiority" (so-called virtue signaling).
Sign check (the more it applies, the stronger the sign)
Reacting strongly to criticism/being ignored / Cannot break the habit of comparison
More concerned with "evaluation" than results / Wanting to take all the credit
Excuses or blaming others come out first when failing
Obsessed with "correctness," choosing to refute rather than learn
Feeling helpless or angry when not recognized
What happens?
Stagnation of learning: Growth slows down because you cannot admit mistakes
Deterioration of relationships: Competition and control come to the forefront rather than trust
Chronic anxiety: Temporary relief fed by evaluation -> immediately returns to hunger (addiction loop)
Difference from humility and self-esteem
Healthy self-esteem: Quietly respecting yourself as you are (independent of the presence or absence of evaluation).
Humility: An attitude of accepting both limitations and strengths as facts, and learning.
Vanity: An "inflated but fragile" self-image that tries to create value through external evaluation.
-> As you summarized before,as vanity weakens, humility naturally appears, and attachment also thins outis the flow.
Relationship with attachment
Vanity strengthensattachmentto "evaluation, correctness, roles, and possessions."
When humility (acceptance of one's true size) grows, attachment to thesebecomes useless and naturally loosens.
Practices for letting go
A. 1-minute protocol you can do on the spot (STOP)
Stop: Do not react reflexively
Take a breath: Breathe slowly
Observe: Observe the body (tension in chest/throat), emotions (anxiety/anger), and thoughts (thirst for correctness/praise)
Proceed with intention: Choose actions in line with yourvalues(sincerity, learning, contribution)
B. See through with questions (self-inquiry)
"What is the reward I 'really' want from this action? (safety, love, approval, control)"
"Would I do this even if the evaluation were zero?"
"What do I feel is being 'threatened' if I admit a mistake?"
C. Small counter-actions
Givecredit to the teamfor results / Sharejust one
weakness or failure /Anonymous good deedsthat don't stand out / Practice saying "I don't know"
Reduce the "approval loop" of social media (take 3 deep breaths before posting, set a limit on viewing frequency)
D. Prepare the foundation
One line ofgratitude memoevery day (self/others/events)
Verbalizing values: "I chooselearning and contribution. Evaluation is a gift, not a necessity."
Body perception training (notice chest puffing up = sign of vanity -> drop shoulders and exhale)
Relationship with "True Self (aware mind based on love)"
Vanity = excessive defense toprotect the story of lack.
As you return to the perspective of the True Self (quiet awareness), a "sense of being enough" becomes the foundation, andthe need to show off disappears.
Short watchword examples:
"I am already enough. Now, I choose learning and sincerity."
"Evaluation is information. Value is existence."
Does becoming aware of vanity reduce one's worries?
ChatGPT:
Yes, that is correct.
The more you become aware of your vanity, the more your worries and suffering will naturally decrease.
Why does awareness of vanity reduce worries?
Liberation from comparison
Vanity arises from the desire to 'look better than others' or 'be evaluated'.
However, by becoming aware of it, you stop participating in the 'comparison game,' and your heart feels lighter.
Weakening the fear of failure and criticism
When vanity is strong, one excessively fears that 'it would be embarrassing to fail'.
But if you realize that it is vanity, you can calm down, knowing that 'that is not the essence'.
Accepting yourself as you are
By acknowledging that it is okay to live as your 'true self' rather than a 'pretend self',
unnecessary anxiety and stress are reduced.
Human relationships become natural
Vanity creates a mask of 'wanting to look good,' which makes you prone to fatigue.
If you realize this, you will be able to build honest and sincere relationships.
A Buddhist perspective
Buddhism teaches that 'the cause of suffering is attachment'.
Vanity is also an attachment to 'honor, status, and approval'.
The more you become aware of this, the freer your heart becomes, and your worries decrease.
👉 In summary:
Becoming aware of vanity is shining a light on the 'mechanism that creates worries'.
Through that light, worries naturally lose their power.
Q: Then, can the path to awakening be achieved primarily by continuing to renounce attachment?
A: We can have attachments to both content and context, as well as to the results we intend or desire. To eliminate complex positions, it may be effective to break them down once and surrender their factors. For example, what rewards are you gaining through attachment—a sense of security or pleasure, pride in being 'right,' comfort or satisfaction, loyalty to a group, family, or tradition, avoidance of fear of the unknown, etc.?
If you examine your belief system closely, you will find that it follows social premises such as good/bad, right/wrong. For example, the structure of 'I want to eat chocolate ice cream' (content) and 'If I do, I will be happy' (context) originates from another position where the source of happiness is outside and must be 'acquired' (the overall context). Such propositions suggest a chain of dependency (the Buddha's Law of Dependent Origination), and when you surrender them,it is revealed that the source of happiness lies in the joy of existence itself here and now, and in God, who is the source of that existence.
We have attachments to illusions. However, if we have love for God, we can let go of attachment, and because of that love, we can willingly surrender the comfort we are used to.
The antidotes to vanity are gratitude, appreciation, and contentment.
ChatGPT:
That is a wonderful expression ✨
It is exactly as you say; what works to soften vanity and harmonize the heart is gratitude, appreciation, and contentment.
Why it works (in contrast to vanity)
1.Vanity … Seeking outside, thinking 'It's not enough yet' or 'I want to be recognized more'.
Contentment … Resting within, thinking 'It is already enough' or 'This is sufficient as it is'.
2.Vanity … Consciousness is biased toward 'how I am seen by others'.
Appreciation … Eyes are turned toward 'what is given' and 'the existence that supports me'.
3.Vanity … Running toward self-centeredness, wanting to 'prove my own value'.
Gratitude … Shifting to other-centered actions of 'responding to the kindness received'.
Psychological effects
Gratitude → Reminds you that your existence is within a 'connection'.
Appreciation → Fills the sense of lack (not enough yet) and helps you escape the comparison game.
Contentment → By basing yourself on inner fulfillment, it eliminates the 'sense of lack' that vanity relies on.
Resonance with Buddhism
Gratitude and appreciation are mindsets highly valued in Buddhism, and it is said that 'knowing kindness is the beginning of wisdom'.
Contentment (knowing what is enough) also connects to Laozi's 'He who knows he has enough is rich'.
→ In other words, it has been recognized traditionally as an 'antidote to vanity'.
👉 In summary:
Vanity is the poison of 'sense of lack and desire for approval'.
Its antidote is the 'mind that knows what is enough,' which is gratitude, appreciation, and contentment.
This is the 196th article. In Kazutama (number spirit), awareness is 83, visiting a grave is 113, and awareness plus visiting a grave is 196. May the vanity on Earth be softened.