By watching Kare Kano, I came upon a vanity that I’ve come to like. It’s not the vanity of sin that we all love to hate. It’s not the vanity linked to conceit and oftentimes arrogance. It doesn’t have anything to do with liking oneself. This misnamed vanity is the insatiable desire to earn the praise and admiration of others!
Vanity brings the haughty and unkind to bear on themselves, because modesty and compassion are indispensable. Athletically unfit people gain a reason to train and look good, and likewise, not-so-hot people can plow past the social stigma that surrounds plastic surgery. Kids can strive to be balanced model students. This vanity is a dark and humiliating secret, camouflaged by illusions of charisma others will see in you.
There are prices to pay, however. Among them are the willpower to change, the pain of deception, and the sense of self-identity. Eventually, those that follow this path may disembark and reclaim their true selves. By that time, the good is already done. In this game of life, pretense becomes reality. Self-confidence, kindness, and other learned habits of excellence are not so weak as to evaporate when sincerity suddenly enters the fray.
