Vainglory bears no grain.
Vainglory bears no grain.
Meaning in plain English
Attention to an impressive image does not itself produce useful results. Compare claims of distinction with the work or benefit that would give those claims substance.
Example
A group describes completed repairs accurately instead of spending its entire volunteer session preparing publicity for repairs it has not carried out.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Vainglory is treated as a plant that produces no grain. It may grow conspicuously, but it does not supply the nourishment expected from a productive crop. The image questions praise-seeking that absorbs effort without improving the undertaking behind it. A useful response identifies what is actually being achieved and who benefits. This does not make recognition or presentation inherently worthless; they can help worthwhile work reach people. The distinction is whether they support the work or replace it with an appearance whose main product is admiration.
When to use it
Use it to connect public claims with useful work.
Keep in mind
Recognition can motivate and inform. Evaluate its purpose rather than assuming that every visible achievement is vanity.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 29; French section, paragraph 570; source wording: La gloire vaine ne porte graine.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗