Top 1115 Quotes & Sayings by Francois de La Rochefoucauld - Page 19

The evil that we do does not attract to us so much persecution and hatred as our good qualities.

We are deceived if we think that mind and judgment are two different matters: judgment is but the extent of the light of the mind. This light penetrates to the bottom of matters; it remarks all that can be remarked, and perceives what appears imperceptible. Therefore we must agree that it is the extent of the light in the mind that produces all the effects which we attribute to judgment.

Pride indemnifies itself and loses nothing even when it casts away vanity.

Everyone praises his heart, none dare praise their understanding.

The hate of favourites is only a love of favour. The envy of NOT possessing it, consoles and softens its regrets by the contempt it evinces for those who possess it, and we refuse them our homage, not being able to detract from them what attracts that of the rest of the world.

The largest ambition has the least appearance of ambition when it meets with an absolute impossibility in compassing its object.

People are often vain of their passions, even of the worst, but envy is a passion so timid and shame-faced that no one ever dare avow her.

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

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

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.

What renders us so changeable in our friendship is, that it is difficult to know the qualities of the soul, but easy to know those of the mind.

We often persuade ourselves to love people who are more powerful than we are, yet interest alone produces our friendship; we do not give our hearts away for the good we wish to do, but for that we expect to receive.

Men and things have each their proper perspective; to judge rightly of some it is necessary to see them near, of others we can never judge rightly but at a distance.

Neither love nor fire can subsist without perpetual motion; both cease to live so soon as they cease to hope, or to fear.

Instead of considering that the worst way to persuade or please others is to try thus strongly to please ourselves, and that to listen well and to answer well are some of the greatest charms we can have in conversation.

There are persons whose only merit consists in saying and doing stupid things at the right time, and who ruin all if they change their manners.

A man for whom accident discovers sense, is not a rational being. A man only is so who understands, who distinguishes, who tests it.

A man is perhaps ungrateful, but often less chargeable with ingratitude than his benefactor is.

The most subtle of our acts is to simulate blindness for snares that we know are set for us.

We often act treacherously more from weakness than from a fixed motive.

Too great cleverness is but deceptive delicacy, true delicacy is the most substantial cleverness.

The desire which urges us to deserve praise strengthens our good qualities, and praise given to wit, valour, and beauty, tends to increase them.

Few are sufficiently wise to prefer censure which is useful to praise which is treacherous.

Praise is flattery, artful, hidden, delicate, which gratifies differently him who praises and him who is praised. The one takes it as the reward of merit, the other bestows it to show his impartiality and knowledge.

A man would rather say evil of himself than say nothing.

We often select envenomed praise which, by a reaction upon those we praise, shows faults we could not have shown by other means.

When great men permit themselves to be cast down by the continuance of misfortune, they show us that they were only sustained by ambition, and not by their mind; so that PLUS a great vanity, heroes are made like other men.

We have not enough strength to follow all our reason.

One kind of flirtation is to boast we never flirt.

The daily employment of cunning marks a little mind, it generally happens that those who resort to it in one respect to protect themselves lay themselves open to attack in another.

Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.

There is real love just as there are real ghosts; every person speaks of it, few persons have seen it.

Everyone blames his memory, no one blames his judgment.

Jealousy is in a manner just and reasonable, as it tends to preserve a good which belongs, or which we believe belongs to us, on the other hand envy is a fury which cannot endure the happiness of others.

If one acts rightly and honestly, it is difficult to decide whether it is the effect of integrity or skill.