Man that is of woman born is apt to be as vain has his mother.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
By common consent gray hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy.
—George Bancroft (1800–91) American Historian, Politician
I know that a man who shows me his wealth is like the beggar who shows me his poverty; they are both looking for alms from me, the rich man for the alms of my envy, the poor man for the alms of my guilt.
—Ben Hecht (1894–1964) American Screenwriter, Playwright
Gray hairs are death’s blossoms.
—English Proverb
An ostentatious man will rather relate a blunder or an absurdity he has committed, than be debarred from talking of his own dear person.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
There is much money given to be laughed at, though the purchasers don’t know it; witness A’s fine horse, and B’s fine house.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Take away from mankind their vanity and their ambition, and there would be but few claiming to be heroes or patriots.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Scarcely have I ever heard or read the introductory phrase, “I may say without vanity,” but some striking and characteristic instance of vanity has immediately followed.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Of all our infirmities, vanity is the dearest to us; a man will starve his other vices to keep that alive.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
There is no arena in which vanity displays itself under such a variety of forms as in conversation.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Vanity costs money, labor, horses, men, women, health and peace, and is still nothing at last,—a long way leading nowhere.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
It was prettily devised of Aesop that the fly sat upon the axletree of the chariot-wheel, and said, “What a dust do I raise!” So are there some vain persons that, whatsoever goeth alone or moveth upon greater means, if they have never so little hand in it, they think it is they that carry it.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Narcissus does not fall in love with his reflection because it is beautiful, but because it is his. If it were his beauty that enthralled him, he would be set free in a few years by its fading.
—W. H. Auden (1907–73) British-born American Poet, Dramatist
Solvency is maintained by means of a national debt, on the principle, “If you will not lend me the money, how can I pay you?”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Without this ridiculous vanity that takes the form of self-display, and is part of everything and everyone, we would see nothing, and nothing would exist.
—Antonio Porchia (1885–1968) Italian Poet
Vanity is as ill at ease under indifference as tenderness is under a love which it cannot return.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
The common practice of keeping up appearances with society is a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the vain.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
The only cure for vanity is laughter, and the only fault that is laughable is vanity.
—Henri Bergson (1859–1941) French Philosopher, Evolutionist
A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Gray hairs are death’s blossoms.
—Common Proverb
It must require an inordinate share of vanity and presumption, too, after enjoying so much that is good and beautiful on earth, to ask the Lord for immortality in addition to it all.
—Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) German Poet, Writer
Pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Vanity is so closely allied to virtue, and to love the fame of laudable actions approaches so near the love of laudable actions for their own sake, that these passions are more capable of mixture than any other kinds of affection; and it is almost impossible to have the latter without some degree of the former.
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
Vanity is the natural weakness of an ambitious man, which exposes him to the secret scorn and derision of those he converses with, and ruins the character he is so industrious to advance by it.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
The most violent passions have their intermissions; vanity alone gives us no respite.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
To be a man’s own fool is bad enough; but the vain man is everybody’s.
—William Penn (1644–1718) American Entrepreneur, Political leader, Philosopher
Ostentation is the signal flag of hypocrisy.—The charlatan is verbose and assumptive; the Pharisee is ostentatious, because he is a hypocrite.—Pride is the master sin of the devil, and the devil is the father of lies.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
As individuals and as a nation, we now suffer from social narcissism. The beloved Echo of our ancestors, the virgin America, has been abandoned. We have fallen in love with our own image, with images of our making, which turn out to be images of ourselves.
—Daniel J. Boorstin (1914–2004) American Historian, Academic, Attorney, Writer
What is the vanity of the vainest man compared with the vanity which the most modest possesses when, in the midst of nature and the world, he feels himself to be “man”!
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer