- “…It often seemed to her that she thought too much about herself, you could have made her blush any day of the year, by telling her she was selfish. She was always planning out her own development, desiring her own perfection, observing her own progress. Her nature had for her own imagination a certain garden-like quality, a suggestion of perfume and murmuring bows, of shady bowers and of lengthening vistas, which made her feel that introspection was, after all, an exercise in the open air, and that a visit to the recesses of one’s mind was harmless when one returned from it with a lapful of roses.” ― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady
- “Beauty and vanity are not twins, though at times one may mimic the other convincingly.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
- “Amongst democratic nations men easily attain a certain equality of conditions: they can never attain the equality they desire. It perpetually retires from before them, yet without hiding itself from their sight, and in retiring draws them on. At every moment they think they are about to grasp it; it escapes at every moment from their hold. They are near enough to see its charms, but too far off to enjoy them; and before they have fully tasted its delights they die.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America Volume 2
- “Besides, nothing makes one so vain as being told that one is a sinner. Conscience makes egotists of us all.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
- “I am afraid of those who are too simple on the outside; for their vanities they wear upon their hearts. Better to meet a person who wears their vanities out in the open where you can see them! Than one who hides them in their hearts! For it is the stuff of the heart that is hidden; while the stuff on the outside is not. And we are all vain; the difference is where we put it! I would rather meet a person vain on the outside; while possessing the simplest of hearts.” ― C. JoyBell C.
- “When the world shifts its focus on heart over mind, we will finally experience a beautiful global village for our children.” ― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem
- “It is extremely difficult not to fake or overdo something on which you have just been complimented.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana
- “I am less to you than your ivory Hermes or your silver Faun. You will like them always. How long will you like me? Till I have my first wrinkle, I suppose. I know, now, that when one loses one’s good looks, whatever they may be, one loses everything. Your picture has taught me that. Lord Henry Wotton is perfectly right. Youth is the only thing worth having. When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
- “Don’t try to create the world in your image-that was God’s mistake.” ― Marty Rubin
- “Most insensible, corrupt, cheap, disrespectful young girls run after bad, rude, cocky, nonsensical boys, but a mature, educated, thoughtful, virtuos lady opts for a wise, well breed, experienced, humble, modest gentleman.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson
- “I never met a woman that didn’t know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than they’ve got.” ― Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire
- “She was heartily ashamed of her ignorance – a misplaced shame. Where people wish to attach, they should always be ignorant. To come with a well−informed mind is to come with an inability of administering to the vanity of others, which a sensible person would always wish to avoid. A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.” ― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
- “Things change as minds change. Egos and prides vanish in the darkness of night. The false mask of vanity burns in the natural propensity to be happy. Who wants to be sad, after all?” ― Girdhar Joshi, Some Mistakes Have No Pardon
- “We think we are being interesting to others when we are being interesting to ourselves.” ― Jack Gardner, Words Are Not Things
- “Angels are good not simply because they see bad as bad, but also because they see bad as corny.” ― Criss Jami, Healology
- “The physical vanity of the diet-and-exercise obsessive is recast as the pursuit of a kind of ritual purity, hedged about with taboos and guilt trips and mysticized by yoga.” ― Ross Douthat, Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics
- “Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?” ― William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair
- “Look. Survey. Inspect. My hair is ruined! I look like a pan of bacon and eggs!” ― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle
- “…most systems end up by making imagined humility into a form of vanity, so they end up with vanity just the same.” ― Idries Shah, Learning How to Learn: Psychology and Spirituality in the Sufi Way
- “Many writers make the mistake of making their readers appear like Lazarus, without any iota of care, throwing down books to readers to crunch as if they are dogs.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson
- “Or, rather, let us be more simple and less vain.” ― Rousseau Jean-Jacques
- “The vanity of intelligence is that the intelligent man is often more committed to ‘one-upping’ his opponent than being truthful. When the idea of intelligence, rather than intelligence itself, becomes a staple, there is no wisdom in it.” ― Criss Jami, Killosophy
- “Your whole being is like a home. Everyone is allowed to come at the door, only a few in living room, fewer still in bedroom. And then there is a secret room where nobody is allowed. Not even your own mind.We are so obsessed with others that we mostly live at the door (outer appearance) or in living room (job, relationship and travel that we do to fit with others).” ― Shunya
- “The only critic I listen to is the man in the mirror—so if you want to talk, meet me at my vanity.” ― Scott Feero, Dressing Stone: A Post-Postmodern Picaresque
- “If we want to live perfectly happy lives…we must drive out selfish character tendencies such as pride, ego, vanity, jealousy, lusts, envy and worry. When we learn to live selflessly, putting others before ourselves, committing to what is noble, right and good; treating others with love and compassion…that’s when true happiness is experienced. A genuine focus on selflessness cures all and creates an environment for true growth. It’s the secret to every great relationship. We gain…when we give up self. Sacrificing one’s selfish characteristics through diligent thought, meditation, prayer and action gives life to true love and abounding joy.~Jason Versey” ― Jason Versey, A Walk with Prudence
- “Were you there?”She shook her head. “No. I was here in Nain having achild.”“Then why do you weep as though you had part in hiscrucifixion? You had no part in it.”“I’d like nothing better than to think I would haveremained faithful. But if those closest to him—hisdisciples, his own brothers—turned away, who am I tothink I’m better than they and would have donedifferently? No, Marcus. We all wanted what wewanted, and when the Lord fulfilled his purpose ratherthan ours, we struck out against him. Like you. In anger.Like you. In disappointment. Yet, it is God’s will thatprevails.”He looked away. “I don’t understand any of this.”“I know you don’t. I see it in your face, Marcus. Youdon’t want to see. You’ve hardened your heart againsthim.” She started to walk again.“As should all who value their lives,” he said, thinking ofHadassah’s death.“It is God who has driven you here.”He gave a derisive laugh. “I came here of my ownaccord and for my own purposes.”“Did you?” Marcus’ face became stony.Deborah pressed on. “We were all created incompleteand will find no rest until we satisfy the deepest hungerand thirst within us. You’ve tried to satisfy it in your ownway. I see that in your eyes, too, as I’ve seen it in somany others. And yet, though you deny it with your lastbreath, your soul yearns for God, Marcus LucianusValerian.”Her words angered him. “Gods aside, Rome showsthe world that life is what man makes of it.”“If that’s so, what are you making of yours?”“I own a fleet of ships, as well as emporiums andhouses. I have wealth.” Yet, even as he told her, heknew it all meant nothing. His father had come to thatrealization just before he died. Vanity. It was all vanity.Meaningless. Empty.Old Deborah paused on the pathway. “Rome points theway to wealth and pleasure, power and knowledge. ButRome remains hungry. Just as you are hungry now.Search all you will for retribution or meaning to your life,but until you find God, you live in vain.” ― Francine Rivers, An Echo in the Darkness
- “Or, rather, let us be more simple and less vain.” ― Rousseau Jean-Jacques
- “Whatever we have in the glory of man is “away”. Those are just not enough before we go “home” to the glory of God.” ― indonesia123
- “O woman, father says natural is beautifulso why do you redden your cheeks and blacken your eyes?Why do you remove the hair on your legsand draw them into your brows?Why do you hold your breathlest your stomach showand hold your fartlest they knowthat you’re a human? O woman, father says natural is beautifulso why do you straighten your hairto curl it nextand pretend to orgasm so they think you enjoyed the sex?Why do you dumb yourself downand push your breasts up?Why do you smile when you’re told toand love when you don’t want to?When? When will you stop, woman? Father says natural is beautifulbut that is doubtfulfor what does father knowhe’s only a fellow.” ― Kamand Kojouri
- “Beauty is not who you are on the outside, it is the wisdom and time you gave away to save another struggling soul like you.” ― Shannon L. Alder