Why has vanity taken over the world?

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Selfies aren’t necessarily vain, just like photos aren’t… you can just be capturing a moment in time.
 
saellis said:
If they had camera phones back in the day, do you think St. Clare would have taken any selfies? Yes, we are far too vain in this day and age no matter how we try to excuse it.
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That’s a very hard call. I would bet that maybe St. Clare might have taken a selfie… remember, the saints aren’t* born* perfect. Lots of saints had sordid pasts. So, yes, is possible that if selfies were the thing back in her day she probably well participated in it until she met The Lord… then after that, probably would have squelched that habit and became less and less interested in participating in it.
 
saellis said:
If they had camera phones back in the day, do you think St. Clare would have taken any selfies? Yes, we are far too vain in this day and age no matter how we try to excuse it.
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I see lots of pics of Pope Francis on his instagram acct. Not sure I would call them selfies, but certianly pictures of himself.
 
“It’s why we are in control…” The problem in my view is that we are not in “control”. The ego is in control and not our true self. Hence all the so called “sinning”. Most of us have very little control over the senses.
If anyone hasn’t read It, a very good book that I feel addresses the issue of selfies very well (though not by name) is titled - Introduction to the devout life - by St. Francis De Salles.
Not sure if I got his name right-after reading the book a couple of times I gave it to a friend who is catholic.
 
puzzledtoo said:
“It’s why we are in control…” The problem in my view is that we are not in “control”. The ego is in control and not our true self. Hence all the so called “sinning”. Most of us have very little control over the senses.
If anyone hasn’t read It, a very good book that I feel addresses the issue of selfies very well (though not by name) is titled - Introduction to the devout life - by St. Francis De Salles.
Not sure if I got his name right-after reading the book a couple of times I gave it to a friend who is catholic.
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What I mean is we have free-will, not that we are always in control of ourselves–that we ought control our impulses and desires. If we are doing that, then what is truly innocent/pure remains so. Every activity we engage needs to be looked at in this way–is it innocent diversion or is it damaging to the soul? If the first, it’s fine–as long as it’s done in moderation. If the latter then we shouldn’t do it under any circumstances.
 
AnneElizabeth said:
This is true, but I think what is considered what is looking presentable has gone up several levels according to society. Just looking presentable now possibly includes making sure your body is ‘fit’ and buff, your skin is clear of pimples, your hair is full shiny and always styled nicely plus wear nice clothes from designer lines, or some very close knock off, not to mention your house/and or office and furnishings better be in line with what is current too. All vanity.

Look I rather have a doctor that looks disheveled and his office a mess but can save my life than one that dresses presentable and wears all the latest styles and his office looks like a million bucks to furnish it. You see, its still vanity… this ‘looking presentable’ stuff… St. Paul corrected St. Peter over his judging people like that… not saying you are like that… just that its still all vanity, and therefore, not what is really valuable, though I have to say it is pleasant, just not what is needed.
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I agree it’s gone to far. I think it can also make people insecure about how they look at all times when you feel you have to compete to look good all the time.
 
Not that it matters Della, but I agree with your last post. Be well.
 
When there is no happiness in the interior life, and nothing in our hearts of spiritual worth, then we become obsessed with the exterior.

This is what we reap from the ME generations.
Christ asks us to look to others, care for others, worry about others, put others first.

Sadly, many don’t see value in this.
 
I believe there’s a lot more insecurity as young people try to keep up with what’s out there
and then start to ‘loose’ it as they get older.People have kid of lost perspective of what makes a person look nice-a smiling face, a healthy color from being outdoors and eating well and exercise. It does amaze me how much is spent on looks ! Incredible.
I think the cost factor kind of turns it into vanity…what was insecurity becomes overly focused on.
 
Della said:
What I mean is we have free-will, not that we are always in control of ourselves–that we ought control our impulses and desires. If we are doing that, then what is truly innocent/pure remains so. Every activity we engage needs to be looked at in this way–is it innocent diversion or is it damaging to the soul? If the first, it’s fine–as long as it’s done in moderation. If the latter then we shouldn’t do it under any circumstances.
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👍
 
saellis said:
If they had camera phones back in the day, do you think St. Clare would have taken any selfies? Yes, we are far too vain in this day and age no matter how we try to excuse it.
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Well, it’s kind of a moot point since we don’t know them. It’s like asking whether Mary would wear pants if she was around today.

they would probably have taken selfies. Maybe not selfies of them covered with makeup and those pouty lips/cleavage. But I wouldn’t be surprised if like, Mary takes a selfie with baby Jesus or with Elizabeth or like a selfie with a silly face or maybe one with her smiling normally.

(To be fair, wasn’t Clare a nun? I’m not really sure. But if she was, she wouldn’t have instagram/social media in general because she was supposed to be secluded from the world and just because she did that does not mean it is wrong for you to have social media)
Or they might not.

Just because we cannot imagine it doesn’t mean it’s not true

Two people can be doing the same thing, but one of them would be sinning. Vanity is more of a sin that focuses on the intention IMO
 
St. Veronica took the first “selfie”.
Just sayin’.

Happy Saint Clare’s day by the way.
😃

pianistCLARE
 
Javan said:
In regards to the selfies: Taking pictures used to be expensive. You had to have a camera and buy rolls of film, which usually had 24 exposures. Then you had to take the rolls of film to be developed and printed. Depending on where you bought your film and the quality you chose, and how fast you wanted your prints (1 hour photo vs 3-5 days), getting 24 photos could cost around $10. The price is an approximation based on my memory, and of course could vary from location to location. The point is that the cost was not negligible, and so people would tend to be more picky when choosing what to capture on film.

Around or a bit after the year 2000, you could also select the option to have your pictures put on CD, which you could then upload to the internet. The only other way to get your pictures online was to use a scanner and manually scan them for uploading. Webcams did exist, but they were generally very poor quality.

Now: Cameras are everywhere and in almost all consumer electronics, and most of them are connected directly to the internet. You can easily snap off more than 24 pictures of yourself and upload them to the internet almost instantaneously. There is no extra cost past the cost of your devices and internet connection.

The constant posting of selfies to social media probably isn’t a sign of increased vanity as much as it is the result of technology making it nearly effortless to take and share virtually unlimited photos.
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I read somewhere that upwards of 90% of the photos every taken in the history of the world will be taken this year. More and more people have more and more devices that take good pictures. I agree that it’s the technology, though I think there is a strong vanity aspect to it, as well as a desire to “capture” the happy moments in one’s life.
 
oldrover said:
Selfies aren’t necessarily vain, just like photos aren’t… you can just be capturing a moment in time.
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In moderation, sure, but definitely not like the umpteen friends I have on FB, that post close up selfies of themselves about twice a day, and with most of the females, its usually includes a revealing cleavage shot as well.

I can think of about 15 females I know personally that are guilty of this, and its every single day, usually once in the morning, like on the way to work, and then once during the day, and the comments are always the same, ‘beautiful’, ‘you are gorgeous’, etc etc, they get about 50-100 likes and the same thing happens the next day, over and over? LOL

Its almost like they are addicted to hearing other people give them praise, and I do understand, most of these females are in their early 40s, so age is becoming an issue for them, I guess they like hearing people tell them they are gorgeous and beautiful.
 
I think it maybe partly be due to societies obsession with people’s looks(usually womens) & and due to this a lot of women are basing their self worth off their appearance.
There’s a mentality of while prettiness may not necessarily equal happiness,it does equal being valued higher,having more social acceptance,able to get certain jobs etc…and “no one” wants to be the “ugly friend” in a photo…

For example,I read this below article today.In it,sports commentators are suggesting that athletes should wear makeup in the Olympics.
One of their most “lovely” comments was:

“Would you put money behind a gal that won the gold medal and looks liked a washed-out rag?” Dietl asked. “No. If she looked beautiful, and looked a little happy-looking, then you’d support her.”

au.be.yahoo.com/beauty/makeup/a/32311848/male-commentators-offer-prehistoric-opinions-on-female-athletes-wearing-makeup/#page1
 
Also,i don’t know if it is vanity or narcissism (if there is a difference?).

BTW,im not against Cosmetic Surgery (if done for the right reasons,not to achieve “perfection”) or against makeup etc.

I think the one good think about social media is that it sort of has “levelled the playing field” (at least for some women).
Ie:before social media models were “worshipped” as some higher class of people & they felt superior etc but now with social media many “normal women” can be “models” in their own right-if that makes sense.

To me the problems not just with the women who post photos incessantly but also with the people who post the comments about how beautiful they look.
IE:if they stopped getting these comments or validation,i bet the amount of photo’s they posted would go down drastically.
 
You all seem to live in a world I do not know. The only time I have seen anything like major photo taking is by the many tourists we get here and the scenery is so God-given glorious that is fine…

So many so condemnatory posts when you read the thread all in one. I was taught to “keep my eye on my own page…”
 
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