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Famous Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes
“To establish oneself in the world, one does all one can to seem established there already.”
“It is easier to understand mankind in general than any individual man.”
“True eloquence consists in saying all that should be said, and that only.”
“We should only affect compassion, and carefully avoid having any.”
“If vanity does not entirely overthrow the virtues, at least it makes them all totter.”
“The hunger for applause is the source for all conscious literature and heroism”
“How deceitful hope may be, yet she carries us on pleasantly to the end of life.”
“There are some good marriages, but practically no delightful ones.”
“No accidents are so unlucky [bad] but that the wise may draw some advantage [good] from them.”
“A man's happiness or unhappiness depends as much on his temperament as on his destiny.”
“Nature has concealed at the bottom of our minds talents and abilities of which we are not aware.”
“Most people judge men by their success or their good fortune.”
“Innocence is lucky if it finds the same protection as guilt”
“Were we faultless, we would not derive such satisfaction from remarking the faults of others.”
“It is the habit of mediocre minds to condemn all that is beyond their grasp.”
“We sometimes imagine we hate flattery, but we only hate the way we are flattered.”
“We should not judge a man's merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.”
“It is as proper to have pride in oneself as it ridiculous to show it to others.”
“Those who are themselves incapable of great crimes are ever backward to suspect others.”
“In order to succeed in the world people do their upmost to appear successful.”
“To praise princes for virtues they do not possess is to insult them without fear of consequences.”
“The constancy of the wise is only the talent of concealing the agitation of their hearts.”
“The surest proof of being endowed with noble qualities is to be free from envy.”