Rochefoucauld World Quotes & Sayings

Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

To establish oneself in the world, one does all one can to seem established there already. — 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

Truth does not do as much good in the world as its imitations do harm. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

In all aspects of life, we take on a part and an appearance to seem to be what we wish to be
and thus the world is merely composed of actors. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The praise we give to new comers into the world arises from the envy we bear to those who are established. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

409. - We should often be ashamed of our very best actions if the world only saw the motives which caused them. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

True bravery means doing alone that which one could do if all the world were by. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We should gain more by letting the world see what we are than by trying to seem what we are not. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

He that fancies such a sufficiency in himself that he can live without all the world is greatly mistaken; but he that imagines himself so necessary that other people cannot live without him is a great deal more mistaken. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Self-love is the love of a man's own self, and of everything else for his own sake. It makes people idolaters to themselves, and tyrants to all the world besides. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We should often blush for our very best actions, if the world did but see all the motives upon which they were done. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The world is full of pots jeering at kettles. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

True bravery is shown by performing without witness what one might be capable of doing before all the world. — 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

201. - He who thinks he has the power to content the world greatly deceives himself, but he who thinks that the world cannot be content with him deceives himself yet more. — 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

We should often feel ashamed of our best actions if the world could see all the motives which produced them. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The esteem of good men is the reward of our worth, but the reputation of the world in general is the gift of our fate. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Self-love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The appearances of goodness and merit often meet with a greater reward from the world than goodness and merit themselves. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

In order to succeed in the world people do their upmost to appear successful. — 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

Virtue is the habit of acting according to wisdom. GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ, "Felicity", Leibniz: Political Writings Virtue is harder to be got than knowledge of the world; and, if lost in a young man, is seldom recovered. JOHN LOCKE, Some Thoughts Concerning Education However wicked men may be, they do not dare openly to appear the enemies of virtue, and when they desire to persecute her they either pretend to believe her false or attribute crimes to her. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We should often blush at our noblest deeds if the world were to see all their underlying motives. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

In all professions each affects a look and an exterior to appear what he wishes the world to believe that he is. Thus we may say that the whole world is made up of appearances. — 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

Though most of the friendships of the world ill deserve the name of friendships; yet a man may make use of them on occasion, as of a traffic whose returns are uncertain, and in which 'tis usual to be cheated. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

A man, in order to establish himself in the world, does everything he can to appear established there. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Fortune and humor govern the world. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

The world more often rewards the appearances of merit than merit itself. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Truth does less good in the world than its appearances do harm. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

To establish ourselves in the world, we have to do all we can to appear established. To succeed in the world, we do everything we can to appear successful. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

We judge so superficially of things, that common words and actions spoke and done in an agreeable manner, with some knowledge of what passes in the world, often succeed beyond the greatest ability. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Those whom the world has delighted to honor have oftener been influenced in their doings by ambition and vanity than by patriotism. — 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

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