One Clear Dot

Women are vain. Actually, humans are vain. We are all seemingly predisposed to care more than we should about what other people think about us. It can be absolutely crippling when it comes to developing self esteem and learning how to love yourself.

Can you really blame a person for bouts of vanity sometimes, though? I’m not talking about my friend who absolutely, even if a gun was held to her head cannot help from turning got look at her reflection in every single shiny surface she passes. She always has a little adjustment to make: she ruffles her hair, blots at her lipstick, or tugs at her shirt. I’m pretty sure she is never completely satisfied with her appearance. If she is not looking at herself in a mirror, she is watching the people she passes to see if they are watching her back. It’s actually amusing to behold, but probably only because I love her so dearly. If we were not close, I would probably find her behavior tiresome.

The kind of vanity I am talking about being able to understand is the sort that comes about because of something like my friend Megan is going thought right now. She is only in her 30s, but is having problems with her hearing to the extent that she needs to begin to use a hearing aid. This is a big change for her and although it is in her best interest to wear the device, she is struggling with accepting it and accepting what others may or may not think of her when they see her wearing it. Digital hearing aids can come in tiny models and her long hair will cover most of the visible parts. Even so, women grow up learning through experience that people scrutinize visually you when they first meet you. I can’t help but sympathize with Megan’s doubts.

Even those of us who work hard to not care what other people think of us can have downturns in confidence. I can’t blame Megan a bit for a little vanity just now.

Posted on December 28th, 2007 by onecleardot
Filed under: The Way People Think