Vanity v taking pride in your appearance

I think there’s a clear distinction between vanity and taking pride in your appearance. So here’s my stab at it.

I think that it revolves around fear. The vain human is almost obsessive about their looks. They can’t go long without checking their reflection. They have to constantly make sure they’re looking good. Whether as the person who takes pride in their appearance is more relaxed. They know it’s important to look presentable but they know it’s not the most important factor.

A vain person wants perfection but a ‘non-vain’ person knows this can’t be obtained so doesn’t worry about it.

The length of time it takes to get ready will differ massively between these two people.

A ‘non-vain’ person will be quick and know when they’re done. A vain person will never be truly finished. There’s always something they could do to improve their look. Just one more tweak, just one more change.

It’s the difference between getting the photo in one vs taking scores of photos to find the perfect one.