Francois Quotes & Sayings

I shall call modern that art which ... presents the fact that the unpresentable exists. To make visible that there is something which can be conceived and which can neither be seen nor made visible. — Jean-Francois Lyotard

It's one thing thinking something and another thing knowing it. — Francois Lelord

The heart is forever making the head its fool. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Everyone who works in the domain of fiction is a bit crazy. The problem is to render this craziness interesting. — Francois Truffaut

In love deceit almost always outstrips distrust. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We acknowledge that we should not talk of our wives; but we seem not to know that we should talk still less of ourselves. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

As long as we love, we can forgive. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Languages exist by arbitrary institutions and conventions among peoples; words, as the dialecticians tell us, do not signify naturally, but at our pleasure. — Francois Rabelais

Believe me, 'tis a godlike thing to lend; to owe is a heroic virtue. — Francois Rabelais

It is harder to hide the feelings we have than to feign the ones we do not have. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Achilles exists only through Homer . Take away the art of writing from this world , and you will probably take away its glory . — Francois-Rene De Chateaubriand

Not to love is in love an infallible means of being loved. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

For the same reason that the Ancien Regime is thought to have an end but no beginning, the Revolution has a birth but no end. — Francois Furet

Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

He who has not an adventure has not horse or mule, so says Solomon.
Who is too adventurous, said Echephron,
loses horse and mule. — Francois Rabelais

It is easy to be wise on behalf of others than to be so for ourselves. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Science and art are the handmaids of religion. — Francois Delsarte

Nature makes merit, and fortune puts it to work. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Indeed, said the monk, a mass, a matins, and vespers well rung are half-said. — Francois Rabelais

Do we accustom ourselves to see all things in the light of faith? Do we correct all our judgments by it? Alas! The greater part of Christians think and act like mere heathens; if we judge (as we justly may) of their faith by their practice, we must conclude they have no faith at all. — Francois Fenelon

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

Those who are wholly God's are always happy. — Francois Fenelon

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

Giving words [is] an act of lovers. — Francois Rabelais

It is praiseworthy even to attempt a great action. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is easier to deceive yourself, and to do so unperceived, than to deceive another. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

O God, the creature knows not to what end Thou hast made Him; teach him, and write in the depths of his soul that the clay must suffer itself to be shaped at the will of the potter. — Francois Fenelon

Simplicity brings back the joys of Paradise. Not that we have pure pleasure without a moment's suffering, but when we are surrendered to God, we are not grasping for pleasure, and even our troubles are received with thanksgiving. This inner harmony, and this deliverance from fear and the tormenting desires of self, create a satisfaction in the soul which is above all the intoxicating joys of this world put together. — Francois Fenelon

Sometimes accidents happen in life from which we have need of a little madness to extricate ourselves successfully — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is only by fidelity in little things that the grace of true love to God can be sustained, and distinguished from a passing fervor of spirit ... No one can well believe that our piety is sincere, when our behavior is lax and irregular in its little details. What probability is there that we should not hesitate to make the greatest sacrifices, when we shrink from the smallest? — Francois Fenelon

We should wish for few things with eagerness, if we perfectly knew the nature of that which was the object of our desire. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Self-interest speaks all manner of tongues and plays all manner of parts, even that of disinterestedness. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The constancy of sages is nothing but the art of locking up their agitation in their hearts. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Generosity is the vanity of giving. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

On this earth all is temptation. Crosses tempt us by irritating our pride, and prosperity by flattering it. Our life is a continual combat, but one in which Jesus Christ fights for us. We must pass on unmoved, while temptations rage around us, as the traveler, overtaken by a storm, simply wraps his cloak more closely about him, and pushes on more vigorously toward his destined home. — Francois Fenelon

Are we, intellectual sirs, not actively or passively 'producing' more and more words, more books, more articles, ceaselessly refilling the pot-boiler of speech, gorging ourselves on it rather, seizing books and 'experiences', to metamorphose them as quickly as possible into other words, plugging us in here, being plugged in there, just like Mina on her blue squared oilcloth, extending the market and the trade in words of course, but also multiplying the chances of jouissance, scraping up intensities wherever possible, and never being sufficiently dead, for we too are required to go from forty to the hundred a day, and we will never play the whore enough, we will never be dead enough — Jean-Francois Lyotard

Those who are themselves incapable of great crimes are ever backward to suspect others. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

France is no longer herself when she is folded in on herself, tormented by ignorance and intolerance. The country would plunge into decline if it refused to be itself, if it was afraid of the future, afraid of the world. — Francois Hollande

There is an infinity of political errors which, being once adopted, become principles. — Guillaume-Thomas Francois Raynal

Being selfish only benefits a few. Considering others benefits all of mankind. — Terraine Francois

As great minds have the faculty of saying a great deal in a few words, so lesser minds have a talent of talking much, and saying nothing. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

One can find women who have never had one love affair, but it is rare indeed to find any who have had only one. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

When I took part in European leaders summits, it was sometimes unpleasant for me to hear Romanian, Polish, Portuguese, and Italian friends speak English, although I admit that on an informal basis, first contacts can be made in this language. Nevertheless, I will defend everywhere the use of the French language. — Francois Hollande

People are more slanderous from vanity than from malice. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

A good woman is a hidden treasure; who discovers her will do well not to boast about it. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Organize one's values in the order of their worth — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

I do not drink more than a sponge. — Francois Rabelais

It would truly be a fine thing if men suffered themselves to be guided by reason, that they should acquiesce in the true remonstrances addressed to them by the writings of the learned and the advice of friends. But the greater part are so disposed that the words which enter by one ear do incontinently go out of the other, and begin again by following the custom. The best teacher one can have is necessity. — Francois De La Noue

Jealousy contains more of self-love than of love. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

To good and true love fear is forever affixed. — Francois Rabelais

Pity is often a reflection of our own evils in the ills of others. It is a delicate foresight of the troubles into which we may fall. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The only difference between a genius and one of common capacity is that the former anticipates and explores what the latter accidentally hits upon; but even the man of genius himself more frequently employs the advantages that chance presents to him; — Guillaume-Thomas Francois Raynal

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

Lesson no. 17: Happiness is caring about the happiness of those you love. — Francois Lelord

Life has more imagination than we do. — Francois Truffaut

Let us pray God that He would root out of our hearts every thing of our own planting, and set out there, with His own hands, the tree of life, bearing all manner of fruits. — Francois Fenelon

She didn't want the medi-techs. She wanted a fucking candy bar. [ ... ] She reached down [ ... ] and chose a Galaxy bar [ ... ] "I'm going home." "You didn't pay for that," Francois shouted after her. "Fuck you, Frank," she shouted back and kept going. — J.D. Robb

The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in change, as from the distaste we feel in being too little admired by those that know us too well, and the hope of being more admired by those that know us less. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

France could have all the socialism its capitalistic economy could support. — Francois Mitterrand

France needs to improve training and education and the level of skills of its workforce. — Francois Hollande

Few people know how to be old. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

In this mortal life, nothing is blessed throughout. — Francois Rabelais

We are never less alone than when we are in the society of a single, faithful friend; never less deserted than when we are carried in tne arms of the All-Powerful. — Francois Fenelon

Sometimes in life situations develop that only the half-crazy can get out of. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

How comes it that you curse, Frere Jean? It's only, said the monk, in order to embellish my language. They are the colors of Ciceronian rhetoric. — Francois Rabelais

Doubt is nothing but a trivial agitation on the surface of the soul, while deep down there is a calm certainty. — Francois Mauriac

We should scarcely desire things ardently if we were perfectly acquainted with what we desire. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Humility is often only the putting on of a submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them; it is a morecalculated sort of pride, which debases itself with a design of being exalted; and though this vice transform itself into a thousand several shapes, yet the disguise is never more effectual nor more capable of deceiving the world than when concealed under a form of humility. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We are strong enough to bear the misfortunes of others. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Nothing so much prevents our being natural as the desire to seem so. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Beyond the tablet of stone, the papyrus scroll or parchment roll, human life has become the articulate voice of God. Jesus is the crescendo of God's conversation with humankind; he gives context and content to the authentic thought. Everything that God had in mind for man is voiced in him. Jesus is God's language. — Francois Du Toit

Men never desire anything very eagerly which they desire only by the dictates of reason. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Everyone agrees that a secret should be kept intact, but everyone does not agree as to the nature and importance of secrecy. Too often we consult ourselves as to what we should say, what we should leave unsaid. There are few permanent secrets, and the scruple against revealing them will not last forever. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

As the great ones of this world are unable to bestow health of body or peace of mind, we always pay too high a price for any good they can do. — 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

Virtues lose themselves in self-interest, as rivers in the sea. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

How deceitful hope may be, yet she carries us on pleasantly to the end of life. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Doesn't everyone have their hair done? — Francois Hollande

We pardon as long as we love. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

God is so good that He only awaits our desire to overwhelm us with the gift of himself. — Francois Fenelon

My security is assured everywhere, and at any moment. — Francois Hollande

Society must be made to operate in such a way that it eradicates once and for all the desire of a man to become richer, or wiser, or more powerful than others. — Francois-Noel Babeuf

To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation. — 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

The best advice is found on the pillow', he — Francois Lelord

Is France a northern European export powerhouse, or a Mediterranean indebted and dependent economy? Yes to both. — Francois Hollande

It is easier to know men in general, than men in particular. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There are few people more convinced of their own genius than those who complain of how stupid they are. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

It is a mighty error to suppose that none but violent and strong passions, such as love and ambition, are able to vanquish the rest. Even idleness, as feeble and languishing as it is, sometimes reigns over them; it usurps the throne and sits paramount over all the designs and actions of our lives, and imperceptibly wastes and destroys all our passions and all our virtues. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Because the problem with psychiatry is that you mostly study people who aren't doing so well, whereas if you spent a little more time studying people who are doing very well, it might give you some good ideas to help the ones who are not. — Francois Lelord

All men are equally proud. The only difference is that not all take the same methods of showing it. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Every novel worthy of the name is like another planet, whether large or small, which has its own laws just as it has its own flora and fauna. — Francois Mauriac

Be content with doing calmly the little which depends upon yourself, and let all else be to you as if it were not. — Francois Fenelon

What guides Marxism, then, is a different model of society, and a different conception of the function of the knowledge that can be produced by society and acquired from it. — Jean-Francois Lyotard

The best way to rise in society is to use all possible means of persuading people that one has already risen in society. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Wine is the source of the greatest evils among communities. It causes diseases, quarrels, seditions, idleness, aversion to labor, and family disorders ... It is a species of poison that causes madness. It does not make a man die, but it degrades him into a brute. Men may preserve their health and vigor without wine; with wine they run the risk of ruining their health and losing their morals. — Francois Fenelon

Oh thrice and four times happy ... those who plant cabbages. — Francois Rabelais

Those who believed in the Good Lord, for whom death was just a journey, and it didn't make them sad at all — Francois Lelord