Rochefoucauld V Quotes & Sayings

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

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

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

Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever. — 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

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

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

It is harder to hide feelings we have than to feign those we lack. — 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

It is easier to know men in general, than men in particular. — 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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