Vanity and Humility versus Pride and Modesty

VanityWhen vanity was pronounced as the second topic in our series called Perspectives, I had to consult a dictionary to confirm my comprehension of the word. Our Afrikaans word for vanity is ydelheid, in Dutch, the mother language of Afrikaans, with a different spelling, ijdelheid. The word originates from the moncler outlet sale Latin word superbia, the unreasonable and inordinate self esteem personified as one of the deadly sins.The excessive belief in one’s own abilities or attractiveness to others (Stephen LaMarche);

Of course we should be proud of ourselves. The moncler sale mere fact that our existence was enabled by a diminutive, gumptious sperm, beating a million other sperms, should make us proud of ourselves. The privilege we have to be moncler outlet store alive on this beautiful planet Earth should moncler outlet woodbury make us proud.

But words are misleading and our interpretation of words determines our concept of right and wrong. Christians have chosen the word ‘pride’ instead of ‘vanity’ as the correct translation of the Latin word ‘superbia’, which is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins.

So for the discount moncler jackets sake of my reasoning, let’s consider EXCESSIVE and UNJUSTIFIED pride is Vanity and look at another word Humility, which is the opposite of Vanity and also the opposite of Pride.

Could we say that there is in fact a very thin line between moncler outlet online Vanity and Pride?

Humility, the opposite of Vanity and Pride Personally I regard Humility on the same unbearable level as Vanity. According to dictionaries “humility” comes from the Latin word humilitas, which may be translated as “humble”, but also as “grounded”, “from the earth”, or “low”, since it derives in turns from humus moncler outlet prices (earth).

Therefor monlcer down jackets I distinguish between Humility (Humbleness) and Modesty, and regard Humility in myself and others just as unbearable as Vanity.

WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE IF NOT VAIN OR AS HUMBLE AS SOIL?

We are human Because we are human, we are born with an urge to be our unique True Self. Not different as the rest of mankind, but quintessentially the individual we are born to be. We have an instinctive need to accomplish the goals set by our True Self. Although instinctive moncler outlet goals are simply to survive and multiply, the criteria determining our success was/is/are to be set and maintained collectively by mankind.

Human role models are the representatives of these criteria of success. Therefore we start at a very early age with the creation moncler uk outlet of a Self Image an idea of who and what we would like to become. This is not only a one time creation, but an ongoing creation. If we fail to find the perfect balance between Vanity and Humility we will certainly end up being vain or humble as dirt.

My Personal struggle with VanityI share one of my personal experiences as example of the development of Pride and Modesty versus Vanity and Humility

I was born with club feet that was rectified with treatment and operations. By the time I cheap moncler coats mens was two years old I was able to walk and run like any normal person. But as I grew up I realized that I did not have the beautiful calves, ankles and feet of the role models presented by mankind. My True Self was therefore not able to build a Self Image with legs that comply with the uk moncler outlet set criterion.

Being a child without wisdom, totally subjective to the criteria set by mankind, I secretly developed an inferior complex in this field. Secretly, because my Christian parents would have accused me cheap moncler jackets of vanity, ungratefulness AND coveting the legs of my peers. They were in fact accused of vanity by their parents; according to my Christian grandparents it was God’s will for me to be physically disabled. This was quite a family drama. I was even named Rina derived from my maternal grandmother’s SECOND name, Catherina. I was one year old when my grandmother demanded the altering to Martie. “Handicapped or not, she is a gift of God worthy of my first name,” was her words, (By the way, years later she accepted her second and third names as worthy enough to be given to her grandchildren.)

Suppose my parents, or any other person, or even cheap moncler jackets womens my ‘brilliant’ mind managed to convince me that I was in fact the only person in this world with perfect legs, I could have developed moncler online store a superior complex. The same could have happened if my loving parents and/or ‘brilliant’ mind had presented any of my other positive attributes as a distraction from my legs.

Complexes moncler sale online are the cradles of characteristics. Traits like Vanity, Humility, Pride moncler sale outlet and Modesty are born in the complexes of the human soul from where they develop into either attractive or detestable characteristics.

I do believe PRIDE cheap moncler sale and not VANITY made me and still makes me hide my legs in boots or trousers or maxi length dresses. If it was vanity, I would have spent a lot of money on plastic surgery. And what if I had the money? Why shouldn’t I spent it in order to feel more proud of myself?

Modesty urges us to spend money on necessities we need in order to survive. Modesty urges us to rather give our extra money to those who struggle to cheap moncler jackets mens survive, whether they are people or animals.

Each and everyone of us knows if we are vain or proud, humble (as soil) or modest.

Club feet thanks to medical science clubfeet is.

Thanks to medical science my feet were straightened while I was a baby. I grew up with only the https://www.cheapmoncler.com knowledge that crawling on my knees or walking on my ankles could have been my lot.

Vanity is a form of self defenceIt is NOT easy to accept our own shortcomings. Vanity is a form of self defense moncler womens jackets and most, if not all people, commit vanity until they finally reach the stage where they accept themselves just the way they uk moncler sale are.

But let’s see moncler usa if all deadly sins are really rooted in Vanity.

The Seven Deadly Sins According to the Roman Catholic Church who had based the concept of the seven deadly sins on the works of the 4th century monk Evagrius Ponticus, every deadly sin best moncler jackets also has a virtue. (Latin words in brackets).