Vanity of Vanities.

I read Ecclesiastes 1 this evening and wondered, what does the great sage mean by “vanity of vanities”? The elaboration that followed was quite abstract. He reiterated that “everything is meaningless.” The toiling under the sun, the sun that rises and sets, the wind that blows in circles, they all eventually return to where they first started. Nothing has changed.

Then, the great teacher went on to say that there is nothing new under the sun and our achievements however great will soon be forgotten. Even the understanding of men to pry open this world and to unravel all its mysteries is meaningless, and like the study of madness and folly, they are no more than “chasing the wind”.

So I digested the tautological lamentation and thought to myself, what does vanity of vanities mean in my context? What makes vanity even vainer in my day-to-day living? In other words, what compounds or aggravates the vanity? Here is a short list I came up with:-

When you don’t just think you are smart, you also think everyone is dumb…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just want to win, you also want the losers to concede that you have won….that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just think you’re humble, you also think you’re humbler than everyone else…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just think you’re right, you also insist that those who disagree with you admit they’re wrong…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you are clearly more successful than your peers and you just can’t wait to rub it in their faces and do it every time the opportunity avails itself…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just think you’re an authority on the interpretation of scriptures, you also think you’re the final authority on it…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don't just think that your way of living is superior, you also think that any lifestyle that is different from yours is unquestionably inferior…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just want to be the center of attention in a room, you also want to be at the center of everything…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just attribute all successes to your sole effort, you also think the collective effort of your team is merely incidental to it…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you’re having a bad day after committing a personal folly, and you vent it all out on your loved ones and children…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just think you’re an expert in something, you also think there’s nothing more to learn about it…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just judge a person by his looks or skin color, you also judge his company by his looks or skin color…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you're not only jealous of your friend’s success, you also want to see him/her fail some day, if not real soon…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just expect a free lunch, you also expect dinner and supper to be delivered to your door step…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don't just feel that your wife is old and becoming unattractive, you suddenly think you deserve better, prettier and younger…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just take your wife for granted, you also expect her to accept your daily oral abuses and apathy with understanding and grace…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you become complacent or smug after being conferred a title or an honor, and suddenly you feel you’re a class above the rest…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just believe that having more will make you happy, you also believe that those who have little can never be happy…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don't just think you understand the situation or emotion, you also think that there’s nothing more to understand about the situation or emotion…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just judge someone by his past, you also condemn his future by it…that’s vanity of vanities.

When you don’t just carry the hurt done to you indefinitely, you also make sure that the one who hurt you live the rest of his/her life regretting or paying for it…that’s vanity of vanities.

And last but not least…

When you don’t just regret the wrongs you have done in the past, you in fact never learned or repented from it…that’s vanity of vanities.

All the above is nothing more than chasing the wind. And the great teacher has seen it all coming before. Nothing is indeed new under the sun. Nothing surprises the wise anymore. Cheerz.