Consider

Consider three men:

One spends his time in front of a mirror. He dotes on his appearance. He sculpts his hair. He bathes and perfumes his body. He enjoys working out and feeling his muscular form develop into the ideal image he had in mind. He takes the right blend of nutritional supplements. He dresses fashionably, always wearing the appropriate outfit for the occasion. He walks with grace and smiles a practiced smile.

The other spends his time in books. He reads and analyzes and writes, to keep his mind sharp and his wit sharper. He is versed in popular and obscure languages. He plays piano, guitar, and accordion. He enjoys a game of chess, or Go, or poker. He studies mathematics, logic, philosophy, physics, linguistics, and is always looking for connections between the subjects. He smiles when he finds beauty in unexpected places. He speaks with conviction and longs for a deeper understanding.

The third man spends his time helping others. He listens. He gives advice on relationships, on family problems, on the myriad of stresses that weigh on people. He volunteers. He tries to treat others with respect, kindness, and honesty. He pays attention to others' needs and acts with compassion and sympathy. He smiles when he knows that he made a difference. He has loyal friends and ardent followers. His reputation shines like a polished set of armor.

Some define vanity to be an excessive opinion of one's self-appearance, but there is no sense in limiting that pride to the physical self. These three men all work to better themselves, though their goals are vastly different. They all uphold an image of themselves, an icon upon the pedestal of their own expectations. Vanity or conceit or narcissism, whatever it be called, can sneak up on us, and without warning, replace the man with a painted shell. And if the shell should crack one day, would we find anything remaining underneath?