Vanity

In conventional parlance, vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others (Stephen LaMarche). Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant futility. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic synonym for vanity, but originally meant boasting in vain, i.e. unjustified boasting; although glory is now seen as having an exclusively positive meaning, the Latin term gloria (from which it derives) roughly means boasting, and was often used as a negative criticism.

Famous quotes containing the word vanity:

“Things said or done long years ago,
Or things I did not do or say
But though that I might say or do,
Weigh me down, and not a day
But something is recalled,
My conscience or my vanity appalled.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

“At bottom, man mirrors himself in things; he considers everything beautiful that reflects his own image: the judgment “beautiful” is the vanity of his species.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)

“Virtue would not make such advances if there were not a little vanity to keep it company.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)