"The Society of the Spectacle, Danger, and Vanity: When Modesty and Prudence Are Lost for a 'Like'"

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"The Showcase of Modern Vanity: Today’s gym has been transformed into a runway of exhibitionism and expensive brands, where health care is displaced by the obsession with seeking the approval of others. A reflection of the society of the spectacle that blurs the lines of intimate modesty through garments manufactured with the sole purpose of shaping and exposing the body in a deliberately provocative manner.

Many people today walk around in this attire—designed strictly for showcasing the silhouette—extending its use outside of training rooms and into the streets, supermarkets, and shopping malls. In this way, everyday family life is transformed into a stage for visual consumption and superficial validation, altering the respect owed to shared public spaces."

Author: Cira Arroyo Fuentes | © 2026, Costa Rica | Saturday, September 5, 2026, 11:15 AM

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Introduction: 

The Mirror of Time

I remember how times used to be, and comparing them to today simply frightens me to see the magnitude of the change. I hold a memory that I consider perfect to illustrate this article: the comparison between what young girls did in my time—an innocent, homemade trick of rebellion that consisted of folding the waistband of their school shorts or skirts to show a bit of their thighs—and what is sold in stores today. This contrast shows with absolute clarity how the fashion industry absorbed the desire for exhibitionism and transformed it into a massive, exaggerated, and purely commercial business, erasing the boundaries of traditional modesty.

Summary:

As an observant author, I reflect on the transformation of public spaces and the loss of prudence in today's society, where places like gyms have become centers of mass exhibition seeking external validation and superficial aesthetic consumption. Rooted in spiritual and traditional references, I showcase the contrast between physical vanity and the preservation of personal dignity.

Message:

At a very young age, in school, I received a life lesson that I have never forgotten: if there is no sidewalk, you must walk or run on the left side of the street, always facing the oncoming cars. It is a golden rule of road safety that teaches us to look danger right in the face so we can react. However, what we are experiencing today seems deeply troubling to me. Many people have developed an excessive confidence when it comes to the street. It seems as though they believe their mere presence, acting with negligence and imposition, is enough to stop traffic. But we all know very well that physics and recklessness behind the wheel do not forgive.

This attitude of challenging danger is not limited to the streets; it has become an alarming social trend. Today we see people who deliberately seek out risky situations, entering dangerous or prohibited areas just to show a false bravery. They do it to impose themselves, to be seen, to break the rules, and to grab attention. But popular wisdom, which I also learned as a girl in a single phrase, warns us with total clarity: "He who seeks danger shall perish in it." Human beings have become daring and foolish, forgetting that life is fragile.

This alarming need for exhibitionism and to draw attention at all costs has found its perfect stage in the world of exercise and gyms. What used to be handled in the private sphere is now exposed en masse. It amazes me to see how modesty has changed. Before, certain movements, exercises, or outfits were reserved for the privacy of the home or in front of one's husband. Now, they are exhibited without any filter before a crowd of strangers.

I remember that, in times past, when a young girl wanted to look very sexy, she would take her school shorts and skirts—which were decent shorts and skirts—and roll them up at the waistband. They wanted them to ride up at the sides so the thighs of their legs would show; it was a cut toward the sides to draw attention. But now, girls have no need to do homemade tricks. Today, clothes already come designed from the factory to be infinitely worse: they feature elastics tucked right between the buttocks and come completely tight-fitting to the body in an exaggerated way.

The exhibitionism in today's sportswear is undeniable. Many women have cast aside conventional shorts and fully put on extremely short garments or tiny skirts. Before, women would never exhibit their private parts for any reason; they possessed modesty. In contrast, with modern gym clothes, the high-compression textile design and high-waisted cuts deliberately seek to highlight the entire pubic area in the front, while in the back, an elastic tucks completely between the buttocks, leaving almost half of the gluteus exposed. What once would have been a cause for deep shame is now proudly flaunted under the brainwashing of digital trends: the more it shows and the more it is exhibited, the better.

To make matters worse, the display no longer contents itself with the four walls of the gym. Now we see these same people going out into the streets to run, entering supermarkets, walking through banks or shopping malls wearing that exact same ultra-tight and provocative clothing. They go out onto public roads consciously or unconsciously seeking stares, car honks, and people shouting nonsense at them, completely shattering the respect for public spaces meant for families.

Added to all this exposed anatomy is a complete package of artificial aesthetics: dense fake eyelashes, extremely long acrylic nails, drawn-on eyebrows, and faces transformed with Botox. All of this reveals the truth behind this supposedly "healthy" culture: it is pure commerce and mass brainwashing. The aesthetic industries, brands, and influencers dictate trends just to take people's money. A few days ago I went to ask about a pair of athletic shorts, and the price was outrageously expensive. It is not just an exhibitionism of the body; it is also an exhibitionism of brands and status, a competition to see who spends more on expensive sportswear and cosmetic treatments.

This obsession with appearance and the excessive care of the physical body is not a new topic. The very Word of God already spoke about this and put things in their proper balance, reminding us that the body should not be a temple for vanity.

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."
— 1 Timothy 4:8 (King James Version)

The Bible does not say that exercising is bad, but it teaches us that its benefit is limited and earthly. What is truly valuable is to feed the spirit, prudence, and the fear of God. Similarly, regarding the recklessness of those who seek risk out of pride, Scripture supports us in the book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 3:26: "A stubborn heart shall fare evil at the last; and he that loveth danger shall perish therein." Proverbs 22:3 also reminds us: "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished."

We live in a society that has exchanged modesty for exhibitionism, prudence for audacity, and authenticity for a plastic mold and expensive brands. I choose, therefore, to keep my exercises in the privacy of my room, protecting my intimacy, guarding my modesty, and remembering that a person's true worth is not measured by the stares they steal on a street corner or on a social network, but by the dignity and prudence with which they conduct their life.

Conclusion

A woman's true magnetism does not lie in the crudeness of exhibition, but in the art of distinction. While current trends mistake audacity for vulgarity through garments that saturate the visual environment, timeless elegance and decency continue to exert a superior power. A woman dressed with propriety and self-respect does not need to resort to loud impacts to be noticed; her presence, imbued with femininity and respect for shared spaces, captures glances of authentic admiration and leaves a lasting impression that the mass production of cheap fashion can never imitate.

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Consulted Bibliography:

1. United Bible Societies. (1960). Holy Bible, Reina-Valera 1960 Version. [1 Timothy 4:8; Proverbs 22:3].
2. God Speaks Today (DHH). Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Chapter 3, Verse 26.
3. Centro Virtual Cervantes (CVC). Multilingual Proverb Collection: "He who loves danger shall perish in it".
4. Psychology of Fashion and Consumption. Analysis of the Athleisure phenomenon and the loss of boundaries between public and private spaces in the 21st century.