The age of vanity

 


The Age of Vanity: When Appearances Eclipse Essence

By Prof. Dr. Arshad Afzal | Mystic Wisdom Hub

There was once a time when mirrors were rare and souls were polished.
Today, mirrors are everywhere, and the soul is almost forgotten.

We live in the Age of Vanity—an era not merely of self-awareness but self-obsession; not of identity but idolatry. We have become curators of illusions, merchants of selfies, architects of false auras. And in doing so, we have not only lost sight of others… we have lost touch with our own essence.

Wearing Masks, Losing Faces

Modern life has become an infinite masquerade. Social media filters turn faces into fantasies. Achievements are staged, smiles rehearsed, grief edited out. Our lives are now not lived—they are uploaded.

We become digital deities in a temple of fleeting likes, where truth is tailored and wisdom is algorithmized. Yet behind the filters, so many ache in silence—spiritually famished while appearing “flawless.”

Vanity is not beauty. It is the shadow of insecurity.
And what is shadow without light? An endless loop of longing.

The Cult of Surface

Where once sages guided with silence, today influencers reign with noise. Wisdom is measured in followers. Success is declared through views. We are no longer seekers of light but captives of spotlight.

We wear brands as if they are identities. We define worth by external polish: the car, the suit, the makeup, the follower count.
But all that glitters is not divine.
The soul, after all, has no designer label.

Esoteric Insight: What Vanity Really Is

From a mystic lens, vanity is not pride—it is disconnection from one's original light. A person who knows their soul glows quietly. Only a lost one screams for attention.

Vanity thrives where the sacred is absent. In ancient mystical traditions, vanity was considered a veil over the heart—a fog that clouds the mirror of consciousness. True spiritual work begins only when vanity is burned in the fire of inner truth.

How to Return to Essence

  1. Silence the Image Machine:
    Reduce your engagement with platforms that demand you to ‘perform’ your life. Reflect instead of projecting.

  2. Mirror the Soul, Not the Skin:
    Each day, before you look in the mirror, close your eyes and ask, "Who am I beneath this face?"

  3. Find Joy in Anonymity:
    Not all light needs to be spotlight. The most fragrant flowers bloom unseen. The Divine sees in secret.

  4. Develop Inner Radiance:
    Invest more in wisdom than wardrobe, more in humility than hype. People forget how you look; they remember how you glow.

A Word from the Mystic Wisdom Hub

At Mystic Wisdom Hub, we don’t preach asceticism. We don’t glorify gloom. We celebrate beauty—but only when it is the echo of the soul’s perfume, not the scream of ego’s hunger.

Let us return—not to caves or silence—but to a presence where being matters more than branding.

Stay Connected

Blog: mysticwisdomhub.blogspot.com
Twitter (X): @DrArshadAfzal1
Email: arshadfzal2001@gmail.com

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