《淮南子·缪称训》
媒人撮合婚事，婚姻的男女双方都不会感激媒人，因为知道媒人称誉双方撮合婚事只是为了钱财；雇佣农工的东家劝佣工吃饱，不会使佣工感激东家，因为知道东家劝他们吃饱只是为了让他们以后多卖力气多做事情。正因为这样，所以即使是父母亲，如在关爱子女过程中充斥了某种私心而不具备真诚的爱心，那么，作为子女也不必一定要牢记养育之恩。所以，赠送厚礼给客人，不能怀有企盼客人某天回赠的想法；同样，对死者加以厚葬，不应只求死者在天之灵能保佑现在活着的人。
媒妁誉人，而莫之德也；取庸而强饭之，莫之爱也。虽亲父慈母，不加于此，有以为，则恩不接矣。故送往者，非所以迎来也；施死者，非专为生也。
The match-maker who arranges a marriage between a man and a woman is not thanked by either party, because they know that the praises he heaped on each of them were just a means of earning a fee. The master who provides the labourer with food does not win his gratitude for it, because he knows it was merely given that he might have strength for his toil. For the same reason even a father, if his affection for his children is not sincere but inspired by some selfish purpose, cannot expect them to be over-mindful of their debt to him. For the same reason, when a man presents another with gifts he should not expect any return; and those who give a man an elaborate funeral, should not look to the spirit of the dead to protect the living in return for it.