Vanity

"Vanitas" (Latin for vanity) by Léon Bazille Perrault, 1886

Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century, it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant futility.[1] The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic synonym for vanity, but originally meant considering one's own capabilities and that God's help was not needed, i.e. unjustified boasting;[2] although glory is now seen as having a predominantly positive meaning,[citation needed] the Latin term from which it derives, gloria, roughly means boasting, and was often used as a negative criticism.[3]

  1. ^ Oxford English dictionary, on vanity
  2. ^ Oxford English dictionary, on vainglory
  3. ^ Oxford English dictionary, on glory

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