The Vain Approach

The world is an interesting place, mainly because it is constantly changing. What is considered acceptable and normal is far from constant, and the methods in which we approach and deal with certain situations are changing every day. There are two specific methods of approach that have been in societal flux for most of my life; the Vain and Modest approaches to life.

It was considered, for the longest time, inappropriate to be anything but modest in your actions. Those that took a vain approach were considered to be terribly rude. It was better to dull down one's achievements than to buff them up, and so the words "oh, it was nothing" and "anyone could have done it" were very common in conversation. In the early years of my life, this was how I was taught to act. Modesty was the correct way to go, and you should never be too proud of the fact that you are better than someone else at a specific thing. It was better to be well-rounded in everything than superb at something.

That is no longer the case. In today's world, everything is based on competition. One must push past others to get to the top, but must do it in a way that those he treads on will not be bitter at his advancement. It is a world in which vanity is the most profitable method of attack. To admit that you, or something you did, took no effort or could have been done by anyone is akin to signing your own death warrant. Today, one must be vain in order to go farther than their peers.

It is for this reason that I am adopting what I am coining the Vain Approach to Life. You probably should do this also. Though, it really won't make much of a difference; I'm better than you.