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Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

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French author known for his wit and moral maxims. His works delve deeply into the flaws of human nature and the hypocrisy of society.

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Famous Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

“Fortune never seems so blind to any as to those on whom she bestows no favors.”

Seems Blind Fortune Favors

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The moderation of fortunate people comes from the calm which good fortune gives to their tempers.”

People Giving Fortune Calm Fortunate Temper Moderation Good Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“High fortune makes both our virtues and vices stand out as objects that are brought clearly to view by the light.”

Light Views Virtue Objects Fortune Vices Standing Out

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fancy sets the value on the gifts of fortune.”

Values Fortune Fancy

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“There are certain people fated to be fools; they not only commit follies by choice, but are even constrained to do so by fortune.”

People Certain Choices Fool Fortune Commit Folly

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Nature makes merit, and fortune puts it to work.”

Fortune Merit

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The contempt of riches in the philosophers was a concealed desire of revenging on fortune the injustice done to their merit, by despising the good she denied them.”

Done Desire Fortune Injustice Philosopher Riches Merit Contempt Denied Concealed

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Good and bad fortune are found severally to visit those who have the most of the one or the other.”

Found Fortune Good And Bad Bad Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Our probity is not less at the mercy of fortune than our property.”

Mercy Property Fortune Probity

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The good or the bad fortune of men depends not less upon their own dispositions than upon fortune.”

Men Depends Fortune Disposition Bad Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The most brilliant fortunes are often not worth the littleness required to gain them.”

Wealth Gains Fortune Brilliant

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Our wisdom is no less at fortune's mercy than our wealth.”

Wisdom Wealth Mercy Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Our wisdom lies as much at the mercy of fortune as our possessions do.”

Wisdom Lying Mercy Fortune Possession

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Men's happiness and misery depends altogether as much upon their own humor as it does upon fortune.”

Men Doe Humor Happiness Depends Misery Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“When the philosophers despised riches, it was because they had a mind to vindicate their own merit, and take revenge upon the injustice of fortune by vilifying those enjoyments which she had not given them.”

Mind Given Wealth Philosophical Fortune Injustice Philosopher Revenge Riches Merit Enjoyment Despised

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“We are never either so fortunate or so misfortunate as we imagine.”

Imagination Imagine Fortune Fortunate

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Moderation is represented as a virtue in order to restrain the ambition of great men, and to console those of a meaner condition in their lesser merit and fortune.”

Men Order Virtue Conditions Ambition Fortune Merit Great Men Moderation Console

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fortune makes our virtues and vices visible, just as light does the objects of sight.”

Doe Light Virtue Objects Sight Fortune Vices Visible

Author: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.”

Humor Funny Thousand Blame Fortune Fickle Inconstancy

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fortune mends more faults in us than ever reason would be able to do.”

Reason Would Be Able Fortune Faults

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“No one thinks fortune so blind as those she has been least kind to.”

Thinking Kind Has Beens Blind Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Moderation is a fear of falling into that envy and contempt which those who grow giddy with their good fortune quite justly draw upon themselves. It is a vain boasting of the greatness of our mind.”

Mind Fall Grows Greatness Draws Fortune Envy Vain Contempt Moderation Boast Good Fortune Giddy

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The moderation of men in the most exalted fortunes is a desire to be thought above those things that have raised them so high.”

Men Desire Fortune Raised Moderation Exalted

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“There is something to be said for jealousy, because it only designs the preservation of some good which we either have or think wehave a right to. But envy is a raging madness that cannot bear the wealth or fortune of others.”

Thinking Said Wealth Design Bears Madness Fortune Envy Rage Jealousy Preservation

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting the envy and contempt which those merit who are intoxicated with their good fortune; it is a vain display of our strength of mind, and in short the moderation of men at their greatest height is only a desire to appear greater than their fortune.”

Men Mind Desire Greater Exciting Fortune Envy Vain Height Merit Contempt Display Moderation Good Fortune Intoxicated Strength Of Mind

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The caprice of our temper is even more whimsical than that of Fortune.”

Fortune Temper Whimsical Caprice

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Our temper sets a price upon every gift that we receive from fortune.”

Fortune Temper

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The contempt of riches in philosophers was only a hidden desire to avenge their merit upon the injustice of fortune, by despising the very goods of which fortune had deprived them; it was a secret to guard themselves against the degradation of poverty, it was a back way by which to arrive at that distinction which they could not gain by riches.”

Way Desire Secret Poverty Gains Fortune Injustice Very Good Philosopher Riches Merit Distinction Goods Contempt Deprived Degradation

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fortune turns all things to the advantage of those on whom she smiles.”

Turns Advantage All Things Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fortune cures us of many faults that reason could not.”

Reason Fortune Faults Cures

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“People that are conceited of their own merit take pride in being unfortunate, that themselves and others may think them considerable enough to be the envy and the mark of fortune.”

People Thinking May Enough Pride Mark Fortune Envy Merit Unfortunate Conceited

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Most people know no other way of judging men's worth but by the vogue they are in, or the fortunes they have met with.”

People Knows Men Way Judging Mets Fortune Vogue Judging You

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The happiness and misery of men depend no less on temper than fortune.”

Men Happiness Depends Misery Fortune Temper

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“There is a kind of elevation which does not depend on fortune; it is a certain air which distinguishes us, and seems to destine us for great things; it is a price which we imperceptibly set upon ourselves.”

Kind Doe Seems Certain Air Depends Fortune Great Things Elevation

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fortune converts everything to the advantage of her favorites.”

Advantage Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The moderation of people in prosperity is the effect of a smooth and composed temper, owing to the calm of their good fortune.”

People Effects Fortune Calm Prosperity Temper Smooth Moderation Good Fortune Owing

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Though nature be ever so generous, yet can she not make a hero alone. Fortune must contribute her part too; and till both concur, the work cannot be perfected.”

Hero Fortune Generous Concur

Author: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.”

Men World Change Revolution Taste Fortune Rebellious

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Folly pursues us at all periods of our lives. If someone seems wise it is only because his follies are proportionate to his age and fortune.”

Ifs Seems Age Mistake Wise Our Lives Periods Errors Fortune Pursue Folly

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“The happiness and unhappiness of men depends as much on their ethics as on fortune.”

Men Happiness Joy Depends Ethics Fortune Unhappiness

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“When fortune surprises us by giving us some great office without having gradually led us to expect it, or without having raised our hopes, it is well nigh impossible to occupy it well, and to appear worthy to fill it.”

Giving Wells Hope Impossible Office Expectations Fortune Surprise Raised Worthy Great Office

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Love of glory, fear of shame, greed for fortune, the desire to make life agreeable and comfortable, and the wish to depreciate others - all of these are often the causes of the bravery that is spoken so highly of by men.”

Men Desire Wish Causes Comfortable Glory Bravery Shame Fortune Greed Depreciate

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fortune and humor govern the world.”

World Fortune Sense Of Humor

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Moderation in people who are contented comes from that calm that good fortune lends to their spirit.”

People Spirit Fortune Calm Moderation Calmness Good Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“We should manage our fortune as we do our health - enjoy it when good, be patient when it is bad, and never apply violent remedies except in an extreme necessity”

Should Enjoy Violence Fortune Patient Extremes Violent Manage Remedy Be Patient

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“It requires greater virtues to support good fortune than bad.”

Problem Support Virtue Greater Fortune Good Fortune

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“What we take for virtue is often nothing but an assemblage of different actions, and of different interests, that fortune or our industry knows how to arrange.”

Knows Different Action Interest Know How Virtue Industry Fortune Assemblage

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“It is a common fault never to be satisfied with our fortune, nor dissatisfied with our understanding.”

Understanding Common Fortune Faults Satisfied Dissatisfied

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Most people judge men by their success or their good fortune.”

People Men Judging Entrepreneur Fortune Good Fortune Judge Me

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Fortunate persons hardly ever amend their ways: they always imagine that they are in the right when fortune upholds their bad conduct.”

Way Persons Imagine Fortune Fortunate Imagine That

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

About the Author

Born: September 15, 1613
Died: March 17, 1680
Known for: Author
Quotes: 1097

Books & Sources

Maximes Et Reflexions Morales Traduites en Grec Moderne Par Wladimir Brunet; Avec Une Traduction Anglaise en RegardRelated source material

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