Francois De La Rochefoucauld Quotes & Sayings

It is easier for a man to be thought fit for an employment that he has not, than for one he stands already possessed of, and is exercising. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

As we grow older, we increase in folly
and in wisdom. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The courage of a great many men, and the virtue of a great many women, are the effect of vanity, shame, and especially a suitabletemperament. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

No one thinks fortune so blind as those she has been least kind to. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Boredom ... causes us to neglect more duties than does interest. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Whatever pretended causes we may blame our afflictions upon, it is often nothing but self-interest and vanity that produce them. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The distempers of the soul have their relapses, as many and as dangerous as those of the body; and what we take for a perfect cureis generally either an abatement of the same disease or the changing of that for another. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Many young persons believe themselves natural when they are only impolite and coarse. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The intention of cheating no one lays us open to being cheated ourselves. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The height of ability consists in a thorough knowledge of the real value of things, and of the genius of the age in which we live. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

357. - Little minds are too much wounded by little things; great minds see all and are not even hurt. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The one thing people are the most liberal with, is their advice. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is sometimes a point of as much cleverness to know to make good use of advice from others as to be able give good advice to oneself. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Consolation for unhappiness can often be found in a certain satisfaction we get from looking unhappy. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Confidence in conversation has a greater share than wit. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

That which makes the vanity of others unbearable to us is that which wounds our own. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Passion very often makes the wisest men fools, and very often too inspires the greatest fools with wit. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Some people resemble ballads which are only sung for a certain time. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Nothing ought in reason to mortify our self-satisfaction more that the considering that we condemn at one time what we highly approve and commend at another. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There are heroes of wickedness, as there are of goodness. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Some beautiful things are more dazzling when they are still imperfect than when they have been too perfectly crafted. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Our probity is not less at the mercy of fortune than our property. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

That which occasions so many mistakes in the computations of men, when they expect return for favors, is that the giver's pride and the receiver's cannot agree upon the value of the kindness done. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is much easier to extinguish a first desire than to satisfy all of those that follow it. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Minds of moderate caliber ordinarily condemn everthing which is beyond their range. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

A clever man should handle his interests so that each will fall in suitable order of their value. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The confidence which we have in ourselves give birth to much of that, which we have in others. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is safer to do most men harm than to do them too much good. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Many people despise wealth, but few know how to give it away. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The whimsicalness of our own humor is a thousand times more fickle and unaccountable than what we blame so much in fortune. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Our actions seem to have their lucky and unlucky stars, to which a great part of that blame and that commendation is due which is given to the actions themselves. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We rarely ever perceive others as being sensible, except for those who agree with us. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Sobriety is love of health, or inability to eat much. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Good taste comes more from the judgment than from the mind. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Pride, which inspires us with so much envy, is sometimes of use toward the moderating of it too. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

A man of understanding finds less difficulty in submitting to a wrong-headed fellow, than in attempting to set him right. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is more shameful to distrust one's friends than to be deceived by them — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

If one judges love according to the greatest part of the effects it produces, it would appear to resemble rather hatred than kindness. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Men often pass from love to ambition, but they seldom come back again from ambition to love. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The reason we do not let our friends see the very bottom of our hearts is not so much distrust of them as distrust of ourselves. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There are several remedies which will cure love, but there are no infallible ones. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Some weak people are so sensible of their weakness as to be able to make a good use of it. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

If we did not have pride, we would not complain of it in others. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

How can we expect another to keep our secret if we have been unable to keep it ourselves? — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There is such a thing as a general revolution which changes the taste of men as it changes the fortunes of the world. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The head does not know how to play the part of the heart for long. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is far better to be deceived than undeceived by those whom we tenderly love. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The passions of youth are not more dangerous to health than is the lukewarmness of old age. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Only strong natures can really be sweet ones; those that seem sweet are in general only weak, and may easily turn sour. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

If we had no faults of our own, we would not take so much pleasure in noticing those of others. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Only the contemptible fear contempt. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Fortune makes our virtues and vices visible, just as light does the objects of sight. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Solemnity is a device of the body to hide the faults of the mind. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Perfect Valor is to do, without a witness, all that we could do before the whole world. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Idiots and lunatics see only their own wit. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Friendship is only a reciprocal conciliation of interests, and an exchange of good offices; it is a species of commerce out of which self-love always expects to gain something. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Humility is often only feigned submission which people use to render others submissive. It is a subterfuge of pride which lowers itself in order to rise. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The principal point of cleverness is to know how to value things just as they deserve. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Were we not proud ourselves, we should not complain of the pride of others. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Nothing is rarer than real goodness. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

When our vices leave us, we like to imagine it is we who are leaving them. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There are a great many men valued in society who have nothing to recommend them but serviceable vices. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Men may boast of their great actions; but they are more often the effects of chance than of design. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

A great many men's gratitude is nothing but a secret desire to hook in more valuable kindnesses hereafter. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Wit sometimes enables us to act rudely with impunity. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Decency is the least of all laws, but yet it is the law which is most strictly observed. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Perfect courage and utter cowardice are two extremes which rarely occur. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

To be a great man it is necessary to know how to profit by the whole of our good fortune. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

One honor won is a surety for more. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

To establish yourself in the world a person must do all they can to appear already established. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

In great affairs we ought to apply ourselves less to creating chances than to profiting from those that offer. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Nothing is rarer than true good nature; they who are reputed to have it are generally only pliant or weak. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The qualities we have do not make us so ridiculous as those which we affect to have.
[Fr., On n'est jamais si ridicule par les qualites que l'on a que par celles que l'on affecte d'avoir.] — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Friendship is insipid to those who have experienced love. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

That man, we may be sure, is a person of true worth, whom those who envy him most are yet forced to praise. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

To praise great actions with sincerity may be said to be taking part in them. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

To think to be wise alone is a very great folly. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There are fine things that are more brilliant when they are unfinished than when finished too much. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

He who imagines he can do without the world deceives himself much; but he who fancies the world cannot do without him is still more mistaken. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We make promises to the extent that we hope-and keep them to the extent that we fear. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The mind cannot long play the heart's role. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We can be more clever than one, but not more clever than all. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Virtue would not make such advances if there were not a little vanity to keep it company. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is worth nothing to be young without being beautiful, nor to be beautiful without being young. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Flattery is false money, which would not be current were it not for our vanity. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

What we cut off from our other faults is very often but so much added to our pride. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There are more defects in temperament than in the mind. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Self-love increases or diminishes for us the good qualities of our friends, in proportion to the satisfaction we feel with them; and we judge of their merit by the manner in which they act towards us. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

What men have called friendship is only a social arrangement, a mutual adjustment of interests, an interchange of services given and received; it is, in sum, simply a business from which those involved propose to derive a steady profit for their own self-love. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Not all those who know their minds know their hearts as well. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Ideas often flash across our minds more complete than we could make them after much labor. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld