--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The common practice of keeping up…" description: "\"The common practice of keeping up appearances with society is a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the vain.\" — John Ruskin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/john-ruskin-314_appearance_the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appear_2594847.jpg" --- # The common practice of keeping up appearances with society… ![“The common practice of keeping up appearances with society is a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the vain.” quote by John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/john-ruskin-314_appearance_the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appear_2594847.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/john-ruskin-314_appearance_the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appear_2594847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/john-ruskin-314_appearance_the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appear_2594847.jpg) > “The common practice of keeping up appearances with society is a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the vain.” [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often maintain appearances to satisfy ego, leading to a futile competition of vanity. **In simple terms:** Keeping up appearances is a vanity contest. Key Takeaway Focus on authenticity over image. Themes vanity appearance society Mood critical reflective Type philosophical social When to use this quote - social events - online profiles - workplace - family gatherings Key Concepts social psychology ego Questions to Reflect On - Why do we feel pressured to appear perfect? - What benefits arise from genuine self-presentation? A Different Perspective Authenticity can be socially risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Mere Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere-selfish-1892974/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Selfish Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish-struggle-1892972/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Struggle Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle-vain-1892973/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [Vain Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain-vain-1085874/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) ## Related quotes > [With stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/with-stupidity-the-gods-themselves-struggle-in-vain/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [... so large a portion of those who hold much capital, instead of using their various advantages for the greatest good of those around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catharine-beecher/so-large-a-portion-of-those-who-hold-much-capital-instead-of-using/) [Catharine Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catharine-beecher/) > [All who strive to live for something beyond mere selfish aims find their capacities for doing good very inadequate to their aspirations. They do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/all-who-strive-to-live-for-something-beyond-mere-selfish-aims-find/) [Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [“ Against fashion, even tyrants struggle in vain, she thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-m-stirling/against-fashion-even-tyrants-struggle-in-vain-she-thought/) [S.M. Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-m-stirling/) > [It is occasionally possible to charge Hell with a bucket of water, but against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-fleeson/it-is-occasionally-possible-to-charge-hell-with-a-bucket-of-water-but/) [Doris Fleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-fleeson/) > [Against boredom even gods struggle in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/against-boredom-even-gods-struggle-in-vain/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Why, all delights are vain, but that most vain Which, with pain purchased, doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/why-all-delights-are-vain-but-that-most-vain-which-with-pain/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Vain, very vain is my search to find; that happiness which only centers in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/vain-very-vain-is-my-search-to-find-that-happiness-which-only-centers/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Compliments make me vain: & when I am vain, I am insolent & overbearing. It is a pity, too, because I love compliments. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/compliments-make-me-vain-when-i-am-vain-i-am-insolent-overbearing-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you are vain it is vain to sign your pictures and vain not to sign them. 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The worst women are those vain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/if-i-really-seem-vain-it-is-that-i-am-only-vain-in-my-ways-not-in-my/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/why-all-delights-are-vain-but-that-most-vain-which-with-pain-purchas/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Wood burns because it has the proper stuff for that purpose in it; and a man becomes renowned because he has the necessary stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/wood-burns-because-it-has-the-proper-stuff-for-that-purpose-in-it-and/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by John Ruskin > [“Occult Theft,--Theft which hides itself even from itself, and is legal, respectable, and cowardly,--corrupts the body and soul of man, to the last fibre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/occult-theft-theft-which-hides-itself-even-from-itself-and-is-legal/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Mighty of heart, mighty of mind, magnanimous-to be this is indeed to be great in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/mighty-of-heart-mighty-of-mind-magnanimous-to-be-this-is-indeed-to-be/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Life is a magic vase filled to the brim, so made that you cannot dip from it nor draw from it; but it overflows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/life-is-a-magic-vase-filled-to-the-brim-so-made-that-you-cannot-dip/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [When we build ... let it not be for present delights nor for present use alone. 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Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. 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The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [You can have a nice body, dress with the latest fashion. But if you don't have self-confidence sweetheart, forget about looking sexy, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/you-can-have-a-nice-body-dress-with-the-latest-fashion-but-if-you-don/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/) [David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/) > [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. 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People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) [Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The common practice of keeping up appearances with society is a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the vain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ruskin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appearances-with-society-is-a-mere/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appearance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appearances-with-society-is-a-mere/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/john-ruskin-314_appearance_the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appear_2594847.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/john-ruskin-314_appearance_the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appear_2594847.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/john-ruskin-314_appearance_the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appear_2594847.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The common practice of keeping up appearances with society is a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the…” — John Ruskin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Ruskin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The common practice of keeping up...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appearances-with-society-is-a-mere/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-common-practice-of-keeping-up-appearances-with-society-is-a-mere/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```