Quote 1
“Ah! Ah! I am about to receive a visit from an admirer!” he exclaimed, from afar, when he first saw the little prince coming.
For, to conceited men, all other men are admirers. (11.2-3)
There are many ways to develop your own version of reality. It’s not just living on another planet (although this character does that too). Finding a different reality comes from just being the kind of person that you are. In this case, for the “conceited man,” being conceited shapes his understanding of all other people. To him, “all other men are admirers.” Even if they’re not actually admirers, he thinks they are. Guess that’s better than creating a reality in which everybody dislikes you, right?
Quote 2
“Do you really admire me very much?” he demanded of the little prince.
“What does that mean—‘admire’?”
“To admire means that you regard me as the handsomest, the best-dressed, the richest, and the most intelligent man on this planet.” (11.13-15)
Hm. The prince doesn’t know the meaning of the word “admire,” but when the conceited man explains it to him, he doesn’t quite explain it correctly, does he? Pay close attention to how he defines it: ““To admire means that you regard me as the handsomest, the best-dressed, the richest, and the most intelligent man on this planet.” Is that really what the word “admire” means? Would you define it differently?
Quote 3
But the conceited man did not hear him. Conceited people never hear anything but praise.
“Do you really admire me very much?” he demanded of the little prince. (11.12-13)
Each of the men the prince meets while traveling is foolish in his own way. That’s because each of them sees the world narrowly, through his particular point of view. For example, the conceited man can’t imagine that the prince would say anything that isn’t complimentary because he can’t “hear anything but praise.” He has no concept of a conversation that doesn’t end with a compliment in his direction. Is this foolishness also a form of innocence? What do you think?