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Vainglory and the trap of social media approval
What the video says
The speaker identifies vainglory as an ancient passion that social media has turned into an epidemic. It is the obsession with being seen, admired, praised, and recognized.
Social media trains users in this passion daily through posting and checking likes, views, and comments, leading to comparison and a sense of living before an invisible audience. St. John Climacus warned that vainglory is deceptive and can destroy the spiritual benefit of good deeds when done for show.
The speaker gives examples such as praying to be seen praying or giving to be seen giving, and poses the question: if nobody saw it, would I still do it?
Key moments
- Vainglory is defined as the obsession with being seen, admired, praised, and recognized.
- Social media has turned this ancient passion into an epidemic, training users in it every day.
- The mechanism involves posting content, then checking who liked, viewed, or commented, and comparing one's life to others.
- This creates a condition of living with an invisible audience watching everything one does.
- St. John Climacus warned that vainglory is incredibly deceptive.
- A person can do something good and immediately destroy its spiritual benefit by wanting to show the world what they have done.
- Examples include praying to be seen praying, giving to be seen giving, and talking about God to be admired.
- The speaker asks the decisive question: if nobody saw it, would I still do it?
The post examines vainglory, an ancient passion the Orthodox Church Fathers identified as the desire for admiration and recognition from others. Social media has made this temptation more accessible by encouraging users to post content and then monitor likes, views, and comments, fostering comparison and a sense of living before an invisible audience.
Saint John Climacus, in The Ladder of Divine Ascent, warned that vainglory is deceptive and can nullify the spiritual value of good deeds when they are performed to be seen. Christ's words in Matthew 6:1 caution against doing charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. The speaker illustrates how even prayer, giving, and speaking about Christ can become acts of vainglory when motivated by a desire for praise.
There is nothing inherently wrong with sharing life or faith online; the danger begins when identity and self-worth depend on the approval of others. The central question posed is whether one would still perform these actions if nobody were watching. The discussion turns on the distinction between sharing faith online and allowing self-worth to depend on external approval, urging readers to seek God's approval rather than the world's applause.
Main points
- Vainglory is the obsession with being seen, admired, praised, and recognized.
- Social media amplifies this passion by training users to post and then check likes, views, and comments, leading to comparison.
- St. John Climacus warned that vainglory is deceptive and can destroy the spiritual benefit of good deeds done for show.
- Examples include praying to be seen praying, giving to be seen giving, and speaking about Christ to be admired.
- The decisive test: would I still do this if nobody was watching?