Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

The old begin to complain of the conduct of the young when they themselves are no longer able to set a bad example.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

One gives nothing so freely as advice.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

- Maxims, 1678

It is a great ability to be able to conceal one's ability.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men too involved in details usually become unable to deal with great matters.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, as wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We always love those who admire us; we do not always love those whom we admire.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men give away nothing so liberally as their advice.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It takes nearly as much ability to know how to profit by good advice as to know how to act for one's self.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

As one grows older, one becomes wiser and more foolish.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We hardly find any persons of good sense save those who agree with us.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Our desires always disappoint us; for though we meet with something that gives us satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers our expectation.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Few persons have sufficient wisdom to prefer censure, which is useful, to praise which deceives them.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The desire to seem clever often keeps us from being so.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is great cleverness to know how to conceal our cleverness.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Conceit causes more conversation than wit.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We easily forget crimes that are known only to ourselves.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We often pay our debts not because it is only fair that we should, but to make future loans easier.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The sure way to be cheated is to think one's self more cunning than others.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Decency is the least of all laws, but yet it is the law which is most strictly observed.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is much easier to suppress a first desire than to satisfy those that follow.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

However much we may distrust men's sincerity, we always believe they speak to us more sincerely than to others.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The fame of great men ought to be judged always by the means they used to acquire it.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is only persons of firmness that can have real gentleness. Those who appear gentle are, in general, only a weak character, which easily changes into asperity.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Flattery is a kind of bad money, to which our vanity gives us currency.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

No fools are so troublesome as those who have some wit.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gallantry of the mind is saying the most empty things in an agreeable manner.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Grace is to the body, what good sense is to the mind.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gravity is a trick of the body devised to conceal deficiencies of the mind.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

One kind of happiness is to know exactly at what point to be miserable.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

When our hatred is violent, it sinks us even beneath those we hate.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is a wearisome disease to preserve health by too strict a regimen.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The heart is forever making the head its fool.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Our hopes, often though they deceive us, lead us pleasantly along the path of life.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The only good imitations are those that poke fun at bad originals.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we had sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Too great haste to repay an obligation is a kind of ingratitude.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We seldom find people ungrateful so long as it is thought we can serve them.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The intellect is always fooled by the heart.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The virtues and vices are all put in motion by interest.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Jealousy is always born with love, but does not always die with it.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Jealousy lives upon doubts. It becomes madness or ceases entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty.

~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld