Pride and Vanity are mutually exclusive in terms of what they represent, although both words are used interchangeably. The former is having an intrinsic satisfaction over ones accomplishments, while the latter is conducive to excessive infatuation for ones appearance, opinions and abilities. The media has played an influential role in shaping our moral values, through mediums such as; television, internet, radio, newspapers and magazines. It has truly been a persuasive rhetoric in our moral values.
Example; “Beauty is skin deep,” the idiom that has promulgated the world, while superficial values have saturated our society; the vanity of self-indulgence, the megalomaniacs and narcissists infatuated with power and material-aesthetics. Conceited in ones own artificial luxury, and the vain of self-righteousness, while loathing to any external forces that infringes or hinders that flaky illusion of a security. Dwindling in a fragile ego while being a parasite to materialism.
Or the irony of mans hypocrisy, idolizing a deistic, pantheistic or external divine intervention as the cosmic narrator, only to wither back to hedonism after a fleeting debate with an atheist over the chaos vs narratives of the universe. Then indulging in a backyard orgy while sipping on Diva Vodka, Spluch, Tequila or Chateau Lafite. Puffing Sativa Dominant high-grade buds, while Victoria Secret Models satisfies your every sexual innuendos. Lusting over a woman’s protruding chest-organs, while craving her genitals, oblivious to the relevance of her personality.
The latent appreciation for materialism dwells in the solitude of our minds, fearing to be socially-ostracized if you openly conjure up to such merits. Embracing the aesthetics of materialism as the epitome or hallmark of human value is always reciprocated with disdain. The taboos of materialistic pursuit is indeed the antithesis of human depth and spirituality. Our inherent money-oriented materialistic society seems contingent on our survival indeed; so what’s wrong with a magnificent 24k Cuban Gold Chain, the 2015 Bentley Continental GTC, or the Air Jordan X1 Sneakers?
You enter the art-museum with perfect posture, sundering to the different forms of art; from Surrealism, Pointillism, Impressionism, Realism to Cubism, while engulfing yourself in the arbitrariness of abstract-painting, connoting a subjective meaning because of your intrinsic infatuation for literary and artistic creativity, one that captivates your experience. You then immerse into myriad forms of meditative practices to induce the state of lucidity, marinating your thoughts in spirituality and finding tranquility in what you deem meaningful. Rapaciously devouring books, swallowing every form of fiction, non-fiction, magazine or newspapers that encapsulates your heart and soul.
Then enjoying an evening of social discourse in the coffee-shop, over the American Revolution, Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, World War II, Philosophy, Archeology, The Stock-Market, Investing, Global Economy, The Industrial Revolution or the Rise of Capitalism. Traveling the world and embracing the cultural dichotomy between the East and the West; or maybe you’ll grab a backpack and hike the highest mountains of “wherever” to find solitude. Leaving a trail of condescension behind, towards anyone that fails to par with your intellectual quest and divine excellence!
The essence of artificial appearance and the delusion of superficiality seems to be profoundly engrained in our psyche. Shallowness and the inexorable quest for quantity over quality contradicts the core meaning of human depth. Ironically, an intrinsic or deep-seeded desire that extends far beyond the surface is also the quintessential of human attainment. How can both mutually exclusive ideology pervade our society with such conviction?
Because human fallibility makes us folly to such idiosyncrasies, we fluctuate back-and-forth; today you’re marinating your lips on the high-protein in a T-Bone Steak, and tomorrow you’re a pescetarian chastising meat-eaters. Today you’re infatuated with girls, but after perpetual rejections you become a flaming misogynist; the 300lbs, monogamist nice-guy loses weight, gains a six-pack and becomes a staunch womanizer. You criticize marijuana or alcohol users until you get high. It is as if our predicament is the major predicating factor as to how we objectify our ideology in the world.
My facetious poke towards spiritual values and material possessions are tantamount; meaning, neither can offset each other. Nevertheless; opposing forces balances each other out, because they’re contingent on each other. There’s a subtle repel from both perspectives, as each idolizes his/her existential objectives as being superior to the other. Confounding as it seems, one cannot preclude, that the wisdom of spirituality and the vanity of superficiality is the essence of a social-equilibrium!
Atelston Fitzgerald Holder 1st, Writer, Journalist & Lecturer Please Visit Official Website www.mrpregnant.com Appeared on over 20 different Cable & TV Networks.
Connect with him on Facebook mrpregnant Twitter mrpregnant and Linkedin mrpregnant
