Vanity

[13788]

dantien: So the subject of large penises comes up with my friend. We begin to speak openly about it when I confess that I am proud of my endowment.

My friend replies that it is silly to be proud of something you have no control over and that all I am doing is indulging in vanity.

Now, I dont necessarily feel vanity is bad...and after hating myself for most of my life, particularly my body, it's nice to be proud of some part of it. But I wanted to know if y'all agreed with him or not. Should we NOT be proud of our penises? Does being proud of them make us vain and THEREFORE sinful/bad/whatever? Or is he just saying this because he doesn't know what it's like? What do you think? What do those of you without a large penis think?

 

[13788]

mindseye: Eh, I don't get the people who insist that 'pride' requires a sense of accomplishment. To be sure, I am proud of my accomplishments, but I'm proud of other things as well.

To be proud of something means that you derive positive self-esteem from it. So, for example, while I'm proud of coming out (an accomplishment), I'm also proud of simply being gay (not an accomplishment). I'm also proud of how well my mother handled it (someone else's accomplishment!) All three of these things make me feel good about who I am.

And -- given this definition -- it certainly makes sense that you can be "proud" of your endowment. Your friend who says it's silly is only half-right; it's silly that society places so much value on one's endowment that you'd derive more self-esteem from the size of your penis than, say, the size of your earlobes. But it's not silly of you -- in fact, it's quite natural -- to feel that social influence.

Is it 'vanity'? Not necessarily -- the difference between pride and vanity is largely one of degree. In a sense, pride means you take self-esteem in something, whereas vanity means you expect other people to recognize you for it as well.

IMOCO, of course.

 

[B_DoubleMeatWhopper]

And I'm i the other camp. I look at being well-hung like winning the lottery. I'm glad I won the lottery, but I'm not proud of the fact. I was lucky. Same way with having a big cock. I'm glad I have it, but I didn't do anything to attain it. Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that I'm ashamed of it. It's just that I apply terms like 'proud' and 'ashamed' to thos things over which I have control, not over accidents of genetics. Like gay pride: I'm not 'proud' or 'ashamed' I'm gay. Regardless of how I feel about my sexuality, I'm going to still be gay. My perception of gay pride is that I'm proud that I don't hide the fact that I'm gay. I'm open and honest about it. That takes courage, and that's an achievement. That's something I can take pride in. So I guess my view of penis pride is that I don't have the hang-ups that a lot of people have about being well-hung. I'm not embarassed about showing it; I don't make a conscious effort to conceal the bulge. And maybe it is tinged with vanity, but a little vanity is not all bad. All things in moderation.

 

[13788]

H8Monga: Here's me focusing on my "other things"...

(Warning: it may stir the original topic off course of course)

People have called me vain because I literally had about 200 or so webcam pics of myself online (no nudes on this page).  I think I'm a pretty damn good looking guy (in the face). People tend to love my smile, so... I smile and I like my smile ;D Maybe I am vain... I don't feel it. However, if I were what this thread is about, I think I'd think like Dr. Whopper. Everyone'd love to hit the lottery... I don't know that feeling either...

 

[13788]

throb919: Well, mindseye--"gay pride parade" does sound better than "gay vanity parade"--but now that I think about it...! And "Say it loud, say it proud!" makes a better chant than "...say it vain!"

Meanwhile, back to dantien's big and proud dick...

 

[D_Martin van Burden]

There's a threshold to cross between dick pride... and, what's a good term? Dick confidence. When I think of pride, I don't necessarily think of a satisfaction to be gained from a certain attribute, skill, or talent. People who exercise discipline toward their bodies, for example, are revered for working hard to keep in good shape. But... I don't know... somebody who's proud, especially if excessively so, of their bodies might spend more time flexing and showing off than anything else.

"Pride" has that kind of sting to it, you know? Proud people are more prone to show excessive displays of their body rather than going the humble route.

For similar reasons, I like having a big dick and I wouldn't trade it for a smaller one, but that doesn't insinuate I go around showing it off as to belitte others. I don't think I take my dick too seriously or excessively show it off.

 

[13788]

meathose10: I'm totally with midseye on this one. Pride doesn't REQUIRE a sense of accomplishment . Sure , it's great if you work hard and reach a goal - you should be proud. Say a woman has beautiful hair - if she's proud of it is there something wrong with her? No. Or perhaps your family lineage gives you pride. Bad? After all , you didn't create it , you merely descended....Tall and well-poportioned? Glad of it? Ooops! Could verge on pride. I just don't understand all this sheepish humility. I say flaunt your assets. I'm totally proud of the size of my cock. I should be.

 

[B_DoubleMeatWhopper]

[quote author=DeeBlackthorne link=board=meetgreet;num=1058222551;start=0#5 date=07/14/03 at 22:46:47]People who exercise discipline toward their bodies, for example, are revered for working hard to keep in good shape.  But... I don't know... somebody who's proud, especially if excessively so, of their bodies might spend more time flexing and showing off than anything else.[/quote]

Okay, I am one of those dudes who 'exercise discipline toward their bodies'. I'm proud of my body because it's a product of hard work. It's an accomplshment. My cock size is not. And I don't 'spend more time flexing and showing off than anything else'. I realise that there's a time and place for showing off, like at work, for example. I rarely wear sleeveless or tight shirts during the day. I don't do anyting to draw attention to my build. I'm proud of what I've done with my body. I'm not trying to imply that Dee was accusing me of this; it's just that I can relate to what he's saying from the opposite side of the fence.

"Pride" has that kind of sting to it, you know?  Proud people are more prone to show excessive displays of their body rather than going the humble route.

To my way of thinking, that's vanity, not pride.
A person can be proud without showing off.

 

[B_DoubleMeatWhopper]

[quote author=meathose10 link=board=meetgreet;num=1058222551;start=0#6 date=07/16/03 at 21:36:31] Pride doesn't REQUIRE a sense of accomplishment ... Say a woman has beautiful hair - if she's proud of it is there something wrong with her? No. [/quote]

That is a case that does deal with a sense of accomplishment. If a woman has beautiful hair, trust me, it's because she takes the time and effort to maintain it. If she doesn't take care of it, she wouldn't have those gorgeous locks. The beautiful hair is an accomplishment in which she takes pride.
On the other hand, a big cock is going to remain a big cock regardless of a maintenance regimen or lack of one.

 

[D_Martin van Burden]

[link=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pride]Pride:[/link]
3. Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness.
5. An excessively high opinion of oneself; conceit.

[link=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=vanity]Vanity:[/link]
2. Excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments; conceit. See synonyms at [link=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=conceit]conceit[/link].

Granted, these aren't the exclusive definitions for either word, but they're both rather troublesome in describing a relationship with one's well-endowment. That's why I like "confidence," because it's usually held in distinction to "cockiness" in everyday speech.

 

[B_DoubleMeatWhopper]

We all have our own style of speech complete with vocabulary which reflects our way of thinking. I'm not saying that the word 'pride' can't be used the way a lot of people here use it. I'm not trying to suggest that they're using it incorrectly. All I'm doing is trying to explain what my view of 'pride' is. I'm not suggesting that everyone adopt my usage. When I say the word 'pride', I mean self-respect; satisfaction in one's own achievements; sense of one's own dignity and worth. To my way of thinking, pride is usually* a positive word, vanity is negative.

* N.b. I said 'usually'. Taken to certain levels, Pride is counted among the Seven Deadly Sins.

 

[13788]

thkdkdad: i'm with the whopper. no shame, but certainly no pride. an asset to be used and recognized as such.
thkdkdad

 

[13788]

gigantikok: Hey guys! I've been gone on a two week vacation but now i'm back and ready to roll ;D

I think i agree with DMW, i think some of you guys really are throwing around the word "proud" lightely. I love my big cock, i am greatful I have it, and whether I like it or not it is a big part of my life... however, to feel pride for something that you've made no effort to accomplish could be a sign of vanity (or at least taken as such). That's like being proud of my face for having it, I have a very nice face with good features but I don't exactly feel pride for it. I am glad I have it, it'll definately help in my acting career, but i don't stare at myself in the mirror feeling pride. Just my two cents.

 

[13788]

Dag: Should we NOT be proud of our penises?
Hey, why shouldn't we be proud!?! I know one thing, when I look down at my cock, I get a big grin on my face. I feel like I'm a very lucky guy! ...and their is nothing wrong with that!

Does being proud of them make us vain and THEREFORE sinful/bad/whatever?
Nope! atleast I don't think so...

Or is he just saying this because he doesn't know what it's like?
Possibly... maybe... I have to ask you. What is the size difference between you and your friend?

What do those of you without a large penis think?
I'm not sure... I have a large penis, so I guess I can't answer this question.

Cheers - Dag

 

[B_DoubleMeatWhopper]

[quote author=Dagen link=board=meetgreet;num=1058222551;start=0#13 date=07/17/03 at 15:42:42]
Hey, why shouldn't we be proud!?! I feel like I'm a very lucky guy! [/quote]

'Proud' and 'lucky' are not the same thing. I was driving like an idiot one day and narrowly escape having an accident that very well could've prove fatal. Thanks to the other driver's quick reflexes, the accident didn't occur. Was I lucky to get out of that one unscathed? Yes, without a doubt. Was I proud? Not in the least. I was glad that the other driver reacted so quickly, but I was unquestionably not proud of my wrecklessness.

 

[13788]

gigantikok: then again, that example DMW is out of context. You are trying to compare apples to oranges. I think this whole topic comes down to perception. How each of us as individuals percieve the word "proud". We all know what it generally means, of course, but it is one of those words that is usually very difficult to actually define in your own words. Some people think pride is restricted to being greatful or appriciating an accomplishment, while others think it is more along the lines of self gratification in general.