Vanity, Politics and Morality

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. graced us with these words, “Vanity asks, is it popular? Politics ask, will it work? But conscious and morality ask, is it right?”

When it comes to making a decision, verbalizing a stand or deciding my next move, I have been diligently working at asking where my motivation lies. Using Dr. King as my guide, the goal is to determine which category it falls under - vanity, politics or morals.

Let’s just say, this practice can be time-consuming and frustrating at times. But when I pinpoint my motivator, things actually become clearer. Even, when it is a hard pill to swallow knowing that my motivation may be less than altruistic. But that raw honesty serves me well in that I know where I stand and why I stand there at that moment. And that is wonderfully freeing.