Vanity, is it fair?

[Emily Anderson]

Many CD's are attempting to reach the ultimate goal of "passing", whether to oneself, one's SO, one's closed circuit of CD and/or other friends, family etc., and/or to the public at large.

We preen, we tweeze, we shave our bodies, ruffle our feathers, and wear what we individually consider the "best look" in female attire, makeup, accessories and so on, in an attempt to fool everyone, perhaps including ourselves at times.

Are we just plain vain?

[Lauren1973]

Guilty as charged!:battingeyelashes: Probally a little high maintence too.

[Deborah Jane]

No..I,m a girl
I,m supposed to do all that :p

[Pamela Julie]

Yes we are! Just like any other woman.

Pamela:)

[Brina Halloween]

I did the full make-up routine the last two years for Halloween. I recently came across a topless picture of a lady in B&W,,,first thought was not the endowment..it was that her face had a lot of resemblance to mine. If I can do something about a 5 o'clock shadow, I will probably skip some of the make-up.
I was thinking the make-up was necessity but, most of the ladies I know use a lot less than I did the last two years. Vanity? Maybe :)

[Emily Anderson]

I did the full make-up routine the last two years for Halloween. I recently came across a topless picture of a lady in B&W,,,first thought was not the endowment..it was that her face had a lot of resemblance to mine. If I can do something about a 5 o'clock shadow, I will probably skip some of the make-up.
I was thinking the make-up was necessity but, most of the ladies I know use a lot less than I did the last two years. Vanity? Maybe :)

I was rather hoping for a little more depth in the discussion...

[Nicki B]

Life - is it fair? ;)

[Emily Anderson]

Could we get a bit serious please? I asked a serious question, and would expect that people put a little thought into their answers.

Thank you.

[Genifer Teal]

Are we just plain vain?

Now that my entire body is hairless, I've noticed I am a bit veiny. :D Guess it comes with being skinny. Some day when I grow old and shrivel up like a prune, I will not be as concerned about my looks - I hope!

Gen

[Nicki B]

Emily, 'are we just plain vain' doesn't seem that serious to me (and obviously others) - although Brina did give you a full answer?

What more, specifically, did you have in mind?

[Di]

I hope it is ok that I answer. My daughters say i'm foo foo/ well they say Sher and I both are My pov- I think it is more being the best you . If you want to call it vanity then I am guilty as charged! I think every women is vain to some degree. Being vain doesn't mean having a big ego. It just means that caring what you look like to yourself and others. And I think thats prob how most girls here feel. Just my :2c:

[victoriamwilliams1]

Just like any woman I love checking myself in the mirror, I think it more about keeping yourself together and I know guy who do the same thing and it is more about keeping oneself neat.

[Emily Anderson]

Emily, 'are we just plain vain' doesn't seem that serious to me (and obviously others) - although Brina did give you a full answer?

What more, specifically, did you have in mind?

I think my post was obvious. Self-love, self-admiration, self-obsession, amour-propre, conceit, ego, egoism, pride, vainglory, vainness, vanity.

Is it so difficult to understand?

[Deborah Jane]

amour-propre

Is it so difficult to understand?

Yes...I don,t speak French :tongueout

[Nicki B]

I think my post was obvious.

Well, you wrote it, so you would.. But explain it for the rest of us? What more of an answer were you seeking than just 'yes'? :strugglin


Message boards are so often not an ideal method of communicating.. :sad:

[Brina Halloween]

Round 2: ding-ding-ding

I never thought of myself as "vain". I didn't bother to get my hair cut last fall. Now it is almost to my shoulders. The number of comments at work about getting a haircut....makes me realize that for years I had mainly tried to "fit-in" in my appearance. I think of it more as doing something I really want to let my hair grow. hopefully I never find myself flaunting it in public.:D

My biggest vanity is probably a necklace I bought when I was certified to scuba dive. Except for a year when the latch was broken, I have worn it almost every day. Many have asked why I wear it. My answer is that I got certified for scuba diving. What I don't say is that it was something I wanted to do and did.

A little vanity can be good but, anything to excess can be bad.

FYI, I am not a very deep person. I am way too practical minded. If this isn't serious enough....buy me a few beers :D

Brian

[deja true]

How's this?

I don't see myself as vain. Cause I'll never be traditionally good looking or pretty or beautiful. I don't mind. So I'm not really searching for beauty.

When I look into the mirror, I spend most of my time looking into my eyes, not my face in general.

I'm searching, not admiring. I'm looking for me inside that head. And more often these days, I'm finding me. It's not him. It's not her. It's me. And I see me whether I'm made up or dressed up or not...

[Emily Anderson]

I'm just going to let this one live, until someone finally admits that they like the way they look :)

[Nicole Erin]

Yes Emily we are just plain vain.

[Niya W]

Its not about being vain. For those of use that can go that far why not. Whats wrong with looking the best you can ??



Maybe I might not be the best one to answer this since I do plan to go full time , but most of the CD's I know do want to look their best and its for them. Makes them feel better.

[Violetgray]

I would suggest that perhaps you are not getting an in-depth explanation because your question isn't really a complex one. Are we cd'ers vain? Vanity is a trait that some possess and some do not. But I do not think being a cd automatically makes you vain. Think about it this way, women get to wear dresses and makeup all their lives, without having to deal with ridicule by society. We cannot, and most of us have to focus our interest and desire to be pretty into a relatively short amount of time. When its so concentrated like that, it might appear that we are vain. I've known quite a few that have gone full-time and once they have they didn't feel the need to go all out with it every chance they got, and their femininity becaame quite casual. I'd gotten to the point where it was positively obsessive but I had a GG to pull me back from the deep end. Now I'm only very obsessed! lol But I don't think there's a direct, correlation.

[jennifer41356]

speak for yourself...I on the other hand, am not, I like going out as a female and I like experiencing life as a female, sometimes I look nice sometimes maybe not so..sorry if this isnt in depth enough for you:strugglin

[NoraTV]

Emily, there is a problem with the way that you phrased your question, and this is why you might be disappointed in the responses.

You use the word "vain." This has negative connotations. A vain woman is usually regarded as an airhead. Christianity says that vanity is a sin (although not a really bad one).

I do all of the things that you mention, and more, but only to please myself. Many of us --including me -- are trying to express our feminine selves on physical foundations that are not that supportive. I want to look attractive to whomever I am with, but it is basically for me.

"Vain" just isn't the right word to describe this. I can't speak for anyone else but me; but my motivation is to do everything I can to express the me that is deep inside, the real me, Nora. I have lived so many years repressing her. Now, she deserves the extra effort on my part to emerge. I don't think "vanity" really describes this. Perhaps I and people like me are driven more by an intense commitment to be whatever we can be -- in the words of Gwendolyn Brooks, "... to do the one thing that I can do, to save the one life that I can save."

I think that it is fund to feel that I am being vain sometimes. Why buy one pair of shoes at Payless (yes, I do shop there -- I confess) when you can buy every pair in your size? On the surface is this vanity? Probably. But what drives it is much deeper and more complex. Is is a deep yearning in me to make up for so many "lost" years.

I am not putting down your question. It is an important one. Thank you for asking it.

[DanaR]

Its not about being vain. For those of use that can go that far why not. Whats wrong with looking the best you can ??



I just try to look the best that I can.

[Love-B]

Being a guy is tough, but at least I try...

[Kate Simmons]

Not for myself Emily. When I do something no matter what it is, I want to give it my best effort. I am never satisfied with half measures, including dressing. I always give it my best shot. If I'm going to do something, I try to do it well.:)

[Fab Karen]

Isn't Vanity that percussionist that used to work with Prince years ago?

[KimberlyS]

Are we just plain vain?

I was told by my wife that GG's in general are at least a bit vain about their looks. So I suppose CD/TG's can be at least a bit vain also. I think for some it is being vain. But for others it is part of the attempt to emulate the perfect feminine image in the mind of the person that is doing the emulating. And for some others it is the fear of being seen as a guy wear feminine clothes or being outed. So they do their best with what they have.