Vanity is often associated with being conceited and Narcissism. In some religious preaching, vanity is even regarded as a sin because they consider it as a form of self-idolatry.

Then again there is vanity for self-esteem and Narcissism-vanity. The latter involves too much love of oneself to the point of self-destruction and being conceited. Vanity for self-esteem on the other hand means loving yourself in a way that you ensure that you bring out the best of what you are or what you can be – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Self-esteem, after all is important. It reflects a person’s overall self-appraisal of his/her own worth. Moreover, according to Wikipedia, “It involves one’s mental perception of one’s qualities, not of one’s physical features.”

If improving your self-esteem means entailing vanity in some aspect (e.g. availing of cosmetic surgery to improve once appearance), then by all means, go for it. After all, life is full of problems; the more self-esteem you have, the better your chances in overcoming your problems and in succeeding in your goal.