¿Todo es vanidad?

The concept of vanity, derived from the Latin "vanitas," carries a dual meaning: it signifies something vain, useless, and illusory, but also describes a person excessively pleased with themselves and eager to display it. These two interpretations rarely intersect, yet a distance exists between a self-absorbed individual and the notion that everything is ultimately futile.

Classical thought identifies vanity as a cardinal vice, the root of all sins. It encompasses pride, arrogance, conceit, and presumption, highlighting the ephemeral nature of moments and the inherent vanity of humankind. It is, in essence, the pride found in banality. The act of writing, for instance, can stem from a desire to engage with existence, as Fernando Pessoa suggested: "I write because the world is not enough." While this can bring satisfaction, excess pride can lead to misplaced arrogance.

Writing, as a deliberate exercise, questions the vanity of things, seeking to capture the value of words and creation. It strives to negate emptiness, imbuing each word with potential utility and radiance, even when it seems to rest on the familiar. A text's purpose, at most, is to make us think, move us, or perhaps provoke a reaction. Writing can draw from bewilderment and the unexpected, uncovering life's secrets and the mysteries of the unfathomable.

Symbols like clocks, wilting flowers, and decaying fruit represent the relentless passage of time and the perishability of beauty and vitality. Jean-Jacques Rousseau worried about people constantly observing others while simultaneously being concerned about others' gazes, sometimes valuing others' opinions more than their own abilities. Ultimately, perhaps everything is fleeting and transient; all is vain, useless, and sterile. As Montaigne mused, "Perhaps there is no greater vanity than to write vainly." Jane Austen distinguished pride from vanity, noting that one can be proud without being vain, as pride relates to self-opinion while vanity concerns what others think.