I'm looking for a pejorative word that describes one who cares only about their own, and others' appearances, and cares nothing for personality to the point of obsession. Something that fits in like: "The son had inherited his mother's ______". Shallow is not the word I'm looking for – it wouldn't exactly fit in that sentence (and shallowness seems a bit awkward).
Vanity is the closest word I have to a fit, but it only describes an excessive care of oneself, and not others.
Best Answer
I think shallowness is just fine, but here's an alternative:
superficiality
(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superficiality)
"The son had inherited his mother's superficiality."