[derefr]

There are two usages to the word "vanity." The one you're referring to has more to do with dignity (the desire to be respected by everybody.)

The property under scrutiny by the parent poster, though, is (I think) more like "narcissism"—the desire to be perceived as the best person ever by as many people as possible.

The desire for dignity is universal; whereas narcissism is a (rather uncommon) personality flaw.

[irahul]

> dignity (the desire to be respected by everybody)

Weird. I thought dignity is self-respect(not respect from others).

So do you have a list of what earns you dignity vs what is narcissism? Like covering your gut in loose clothing is fine but god forbid you post your abs on insta where only people who see it are people who willingly followed you to see it and the people who went on to explore tab to see it and then jumped on hn to whine about it.

> the desire to be perceived as the best person ever by as many people as possible.

I don't know - sounds like ambition to me.

Insta has given aspiring models a mostly democratic platform. You don't have to be a size zero or white or what have you. Build your reach and you are a model. Same goes for youtube - it has vastly empowered indie content creators. Of course there are millions of people who post their photos seeking validation from friends and strangers but what of it? Humans have been seeking validation from strangers since time immemorial otherwise why have lavish weddings or expensive wedding rings or expensive cars...

IMO people complaining over overt insta sharing are self-righteous whiners. I see it on the same level as being outraged over Rebecca Black. Don't like it, don't seek it. You think you are better than others? Don't tell, go actually be better.

[musage]

> So do you have a list of what earns you dignity vs what is narcissism? Like covering your gut in loose clothing is fine but

but what has it to do with dignity? And why would anyone need a "list"?

> Don't like it, don't seek it.

I can be aware of something and have an opinion about it without engaging in it. And I surely do not need your permission for that, and calling anything negative you don't like "complaining" without considering your own complaints as just silly.

> Build your reach and you are a model. Same goes for youtube - it has vastly empowered indie content creators.

Don't even need to go into models, they are there to sell product, but I'll just say that calling people "content creators" is like calling someone who is attacked as maybe not being such an earnest author a "page filler". That's the low we sunk to, that's already normalized. "Creating content" has as much "value" as people give it in form of "attention". The capitalism of the mind, the destruction of all information. Work 50 years, rob someone who worked 50 years, you can buy the exact same thing... get X views doing A, or X views doing B, it's still just X views.

I guess I should make a youtube video about it, then it'd be valid even if it called out other youtubers? Help me out here, since apparently typing a comment in a text box is not creating content if it rubs you the wrong way.

> Humans have been seeking validation from strangers since time immemorial

Yes, but that doesn't make it less dysfunctional, and others have been calling them out for being fucked in the head for just as long. The idea kinda is that you do not constantly "seek validation", but you already more or less have that figured out after a while, and then it's more about responsibilities and challenges and things you enjoy. And yes, it's fun to be liked. Just like it's fun to like people. But if validation and self-esteem are some kind of elusive fix you constantly have to seek, you're doing it wrong.

Last but not least: You're basically saying, if you found a bug, don't talk about it, fix your own copy and just use that. Fuck that. What would you know about ambition? What if my being better includes speaking my mind? Riddle me that.

[irahul]

> but what has it to do with dignity? And why would anyone need a "list"?

Conversations have context, you know. Parent poster mentioned dignity being different. Did you not read the or are you intentionally clipping it.

> "Creating content" has as much "value" as people give it in form of "attention"

Is..is that supposed to be an insult or some deep insight you stumbled onto? I don't understand why you are stating the obvious with such conviction and quotes.

> Work 50 years, rob someone who worked 50 years, you can buy the exact same thing... get X views doing A, or X views doing B, it's still just X views.

You are kinda going off the rails here buddy.

> I guess I should make a youtube video about it, then it'd be valid even if it called out other youtubers? Help me out here, since apparently typing a comment in a text box is not creating content if it rubs you the wrong way.

Cool. Now you are making up arguments on my behalf and posting your retorts.

> You're basically saying, if you found a bug, don't talk about it, fix your own copy and just use that.

That doesn't even come close to being an analogy.

> What would you know about ambition?

I can explain that to you. Or you can go back and read the conversation again, slowly.

> What if my being better includes speaking my mind? Riddle me that.

Maybe try to be actually ambitious rather than being content with raging over people doing better than you.

[musage]

> Conversations have context, you know. Parent poster mentioned dignity being different. Did you not read the or are you intentionally clipping it.

No, I got that. And then I asked, why would one need a "list of activities" to make that point? I don't see how that would work, seeing how those activities also have contexts and motivations which matter. It's like "taking bread from a place and putting it somewhere else" can be various things like making breakfast, stealing food, giving food, playing with food.

> You are kinda going off the rails here buddy.

Off what rails? Your comment was an own goal, I'm just beating a dead horse.

> Maybe try to be actually ambitious rather than being content with raging over people doing better than you.

It's more mocking people who I consider lame. Which brings us back to your projected "Now you are making up arguments on my behalf and posting your retorts." haha.

[irahul]

> And then I asked, why would one need a "list of activities" to make that point? I don't see how that would work, seeing how those activities also have contexts and motivations which matter.

All right. I will give it a last try. You would need a "list" if you are the one making a point that hiding your gut is just dignity while posting your abs online is narcissism. I was pointing out to parent poster that this point is not conducive as your are defining dignity and narcissism to suit your point of view. I don't understand how you missed it when it's written verbatim in the comment you replied to.

> Your comment was an own goal, I'm just beating a dead horse.

And here we go again. You think of something and put it down in your comment irrespective of context. What dead horse are you beating and why does this phrase make an appearance out of blue here?

> It's more mocking people who I consider lame.

At least we have the same agenda here. I too enjoy mocking bottom feeders who write diatribes out of their jealousy for people leading a better and more fulfilled lives than them.

> Which brings us back to your projected "Now you are making up arguments on my behalf and posting your retorts." haha.

Again, I am sure you think you have a point here and I am supposed to have an epiphany when I grok it, but honestly, all I see is random sentences chained together. I once saw a video of some pastor who brought a rock to a talk show as an irrefutable proof against evolution. I am kinda feeling the same as the talk host felt.

Cool man. You do you. Continue "caring for others" by, uh, posting comments on hn I suppose, and "being better", uh, again by posting comments on hn.