Funeral pomp is more for the vanity of the living than for the honor of the dead.
Francois de La RochefoucauldWhatever pretended causes we may blame our afflictions upon, it is often nothing but self-interest and vanity that produce them.
Francois de La RochefoucauldA wise man thinks it more advantageous not to join the battle than to win.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld