Painterly wilted laurel wreath draped over an empty gold picture frame against plum.

Original artwork, not a still

The Life of Reason, Vol 2 ‧ 1905

George Santayana

The highest form of vanity is love of fame.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The desire for fame is placed at the top of a hierarchy of vanity. Wanting widespread recognition becomes an especially strong form of concern with how one is seen. The sentence evaluates that desire, without claiming that everyone who becomes famous necessarily sought it.

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