Themes · 1905
The highest form of vanity is love of fame.
— George Santayana ‧ The Life of Reason, Vol 2
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial 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.
Context reviewed