pride and vanity
By winterose
@winterose (39887)
Canada
July 14, 2012 1:01am CST
pride or vanity is portrayed as a negative thing in many cultures. The Greeks have a myth about Narcissus. He thought he was so beautiful that he would gaze into the river to see his reflection. Well one day he bent down a little too far and fell into the river and drowned. The moral of course was that vanity will cause you more harm than good.
The Inuits have a story about an owl who was hunger and could not find food for his family. He went out to look and came across an animal like a beaver that could have been food for his starving family.
The beaver or whatever animal it was of course did not want to become supper so it convinced the awl that he was so beautiful and a great dancer. The beaver got the owl to dance and praise him so much on his dancing. He got the awl to look up into the air when he was dancing and that is when he made his escape.
The Mrs. Owl came and scolded her husband because he vanity had cost him precious food for his family.
Do you have any stories like these in your culture?
Do you agree or disagree that pride and vanity is bad.
2 people like this
2 responses
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Jul 12
I think anything, within reason ofcourse, in moderation is fine. It is when a person goes over the wall and into weirdo land that it becomes a problem. I think taking pride in our looks is a good thing in the hygiene and cleanliness realm. And Vanity can be the worst of the two if over done. I have no culture stories that I can think of right off hand. Many mythological ones but no cultural ones. No, I don't agree that pride and vanity are bad. I think over doing either can be bad.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
14 Jul 12
well said only pride is thought of as a good thing for the most part and vanity has a negative connotation, pride can be taking pride in your school, job etc, regarding many people whereas vanity is usually thinking only of one's self and one's self importance.
myths are part of a culture as well.
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
15 Jul 12
I think that pride and vanity are two different things.
Pride = being proud of an accomplishment well done, being proud of your family, being proud of what you are able to do, but still being humble enough not to rub it into someone else's face. Pride is like water. A certain amount motivates you (water keeps you alive) but too much, and you'll drown in it.
Vanity = I see vanity and status as being a part ofthe same category, even if they are two different things. Vanity is looking, being, acting a certain way, in order to flaunt that which makes you proud. Status is thinking that you have to be a certain way, and "keep up with the jones" or get ahead of them.
Pride is fine in moderation, but I have no room for status or vanity.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
15 Jul 12
Your right, vanity is pride to the extreme and then it becomes negative and not healthy at all.
