Francois De La Rochefoucauld Quotes

The accent of one's birthplace remains in the mind and in the heart as in one's speech.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, Speech, Birthplace, Remains

Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Soul, Ambition, Activity, Warmth

What we call generosity is for the most part only the vanity of giving; and we exercise it because we are more fond of that vanity than of the thing we give.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Give, More, Part, Generosity

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

Small, More, Which, Generosity

What is called generosity is usually only the vanity of giving; we enjoy the vanity more than the thing given.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

More, Than, Given, Generosity

There are but very few men clever enough to know all the mischief they do.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Clever, Very, Mischief, Few Men

Hope, deceiving as it is, serves at least to lead us to the end of our lives by an agreeable route.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Route, Lives, Agreeable, Deceiving

The accent of a man's native country remains in his mind and his heart, as it does in his speech.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, Country, His, Native

The man that thinks he loves his mistress for her own sake is mightily mistaken.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Her, Loves, His, Mistress

The more one loves a mistress, the more one is ready to hate her.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Ready, Her, More, Mistress

What men have called friendship is only a social arrangement, a mutual adjustment of interests, an interchange of services given and received; it is, in sum, simply a business from which those involved propose to derive a steady profit for their own self-love.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Friendship, Own, Sum, Propose

Fortune converts everything to the advantage of her favorites.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Her, Fortune, Favorites, Converts

That good disposition which boasts of being most tender is often stifled by the least urging of self-interest.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Tender, Most, Which, Urging

As great minds have the faculty of saying a great deal in a few words, so lesser minds have a talent of talking much, and saying nothing.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Great Minds, Nothing, Deal, Faculty

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

Will, Always, Means, Sufficient

Nature seems at each man's birth to have marked out the bounds of his virtues and vices, and to have determined how good or how wicked that man shall be capable of being.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Nature, Virtues, Marked, Wicked

No man deserves to be praised for his goodness, who has it not in his power to be wicked. Goodness without that power is generally nothing more than sloth, or an impotence of will.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Good, Will, Praised, Wicked

A great many men's gratitude is nothing but a secret desire to hook in more valuable kindnesses hereafter.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gratitude, Desire, Hook, Hereafter

Everyone complains of his memory, and nobody complains of his judgment.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Memory, Judgment, His, Complains

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Relationship, Great Ones, Fires

We only acknowledge small faults in order to make it appear that we are free from great ones.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Great, Small, Faults, Great Ones

They that apply themselves to trifling matters commonly become incapable of great ones.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Matters, Apply, Commonly, Great Ones

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.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men, Other, Most, Fortunes

There is no better proof of a man's being truly good than his desiring to be constantly under the observation of good men.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Observation, Being, Desiring, Good Men

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Good, People, Fortune, Owing

Though men are apt to flatter and exalt themselves with their great achievements, yet these are, in truth, very often owing not so much to design as chance.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Chance, Achievements, Very, Owing

Old people love to give good advice; it compensates them for their inability to set a bad example.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Give, Bad Example, Old People

We come altogether fresh and raw into the several stages of life, and often find ourselves without experience, despite our years.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Come, Raw, Several, Stages

We may seem great in an employment below our worth, but we very often look little in one that is too big for us.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Big, May, Very, Employment

We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Deeds, Ashamed, Frequently, Produced

We give advice, but we cannot give the wisdom to profit by it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Advice, Give, We Cannot, Profit

The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Skin, Behind, Been, Heal

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

Good, Advice, Nearly, Profit

It is easier to appear worthy of a position one does not hold, than of the office which one fills.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Which, Appear, Does, Fills

Our concern for the loss of our friends is not always from a sense of their worth, but rather of our own need of them and that we have lost some who had a good opinion of us.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Some, Always, Rather, Good Opinion

Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches beyond their own understanding.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Minds, Mediocre, Which, Dismiss

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

End, Disguise, Ourselves, In The End

Ridicule dishonors a man more than dishonor does.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

More, Dishonor, Does, Ridicule

Our virtues are often, in reality, no better than vices disguised.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Better, Virtues, Than, Vices

The name and pretense of virtue is as serviceable to self-interest as are real vices.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Name, Pretense, Serviceable, Vices

There are a great many men valued in society who have nothing to recommend them but serviceable vices.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men, Society, Valued, Vices

When our vices leave us, we like to imagine it is we who are leaving them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Leave, Like, Imagine, Vices

Never give anyone the advice to buy or sell shares, because the most benevolent price of advice can turn out badly.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Advice, Give, Badly, Benevolent

Old men are fond of giving good advice to console themselves for their inability to give bad examples.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Give, Console, Inability, Old Men

Those who are incapable of committing great crimes do not readily suspect them in others.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Crimes, Committing, Readily, Incapable

Those who occupy their minds with small matters, generally become incapable of greatness.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Small, Minds, Occupy, Incapable

Nothing is so contagious as example; and we never do any great good or evil which does not produce its like.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Nothing, Like, Which, Contagious

Timidity is a fault for which it is dangerous to reprove persons whom we wish to correct of it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Wish, Which, Persons, Timidity

It is often laziness and timidity that keep us within our duty while virtue gets all the credit.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Within, Often, While, Timidity

I have always been an admirer. I regard the gift of admiration as indispensable if one is to amount to something; I don't know where I would be without it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gift, Always, Been, Admirer

When a man must force himself to be faithful in his love, this is hardly better than unfaithfulness.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Better, Faithful, Hardly

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Laws, Most, Which, Observed

Some counterfeits reproduce so very well the truth that it would be a flaw of judgment not to be deceived by them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Truth, Some, Very, Reproduce

Politeness is a desire to be treated politely, and to be esteemed polite oneself.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Treated, Polite, Esteemed, Politely

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.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Fortune, Elevation, Which, Distinguishes

It is not in the power of even the most crafty dissimulation to conceal love long, where it really is, nor to counterfeit it long where it is not.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Conceal, Most, Crafty

If we have not peace within ourselves, it is in vain to seek it from outward sources.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Peace, Within, Sources, Outward

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Character, Weakness, Which, Amended

Nothing prevents one from appearing natural as the desire to appear natural.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Desire, Natural, Appear, Appearing

A man's worth has its season, like fruit.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Man, Fruit, Like, Season

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Think, Cunning, Sure Way, Cheated

Being a blockhead is sometimes the best security against being cheated by a man of wit.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Security, Wit, Blockhead, Cheated

One can find women who have never had one love affair, but it is rare indeed to find any who have had only one.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Women, Had, Affair

You can find women who have never had an affair, but it is hard to find a woman who has had just one.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Woman, Never, Just One, Affair

However greatly we distrust the sincerity of those we converse with, yet still we think they tell more truth to us than to anyone else.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Think, Still, However, Greatly

If it were not for the company of fools, a witty man would often be greatly at a loss.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Loss, Would, Were, Greatly

People's personalities, like buildings, have various facades, some pleasant to view, some not.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

View, Some, Like, Personalities

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Madness, Doubts, Lives, Ceases

It is almost always a fault of one who loves not to realize when he ceases to be loved.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Relationship, Loved, Always, Ceases

Jealousy is bred in doubts. When those doubts change into certainties, then the passion either ceases or turns absolute madness.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Madness, Doubts, Bred, Ceases

There are bad people who would be less dangerous if they were quite devoid of goodness.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Bad, Dangerous, Less, Bad People

We always get bored with those whom we bore.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Always, Get, Whom, Bored

There are few virtuous women who are not bored with their trade.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Women, Trade, Virtuous, Bored

The word virtue is as useful to self-interest as the vices.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtue, Word, Self-Interest, Vices

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Motion, Interest, Virtues, Vices

We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtue, Despise, Those, Vices

If we resist our passions, it is more due to their weakness than our strength.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Strength, Weakness, Due, Passions

All the passions make us commit faults; love makes us commit the most ridiculous ones.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Ridiculous, Most, Passions

Great souls are not those who have fewer passions and more virtues than others, but only those who have greater designs.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

More, Souls, Virtues, Passions

In the human heart new passions are forever being born; the overthrow of one almost always means the rise of another.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

New, Always, Means, Passions

The passions are the only orators which always persuade.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Always, Only, Which, Passions

Those that have had great passions esteem themselves for the rest of their lives fortunate and unfortunate in being cured of them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Rest, Esteem, Unfortunate, Passions

If there be a love pure and free from the admixture of our other passions, it is that which lies hidden in the bottom of our heart, and which we know not ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Other, Which, Passions

Confidence contributes more to conversation than wit.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Confidence, More, Wit, Conversation

Conceit causes more conversation than wit.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

More, Wit, Conceit, Conversation

The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Reason, More, Agreeable, Conversation

However glorious an action in itself, it ought not to pass for great if it be not the effect of wisdom and intention.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Pass, However, Itself, Ought

The greatest part of intimate confidences proceed from a desire either to be pitied or admired.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Either, Admired, Proceed, Pitied

Heat of blood makes young people change their inclinations often, and habit makes old ones keep to theirs a great while.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Heat, Young, Old, People Change

Whatever good things people say of us, they tell us nothing new.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

New, Nothing, Tell, Good Things

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.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Envy, Think, Unfortunate, Conceited

We get so much in the habit of wearing disguises before others that we finally appear disguised before ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Habit, Before, Appear, Disguised

It is from a weakness and smallness of mind that men are opinionated; and we are very loath to believe what we are not able to comprehend.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, Weakness, Comprehend, Loath

The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hidden, Like, Sought, Women Are

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Ashamed, Could, Which, Produced

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Obligation, Repay, Too, Haste

We seldom praise anyone in good earnest, except such as admire us.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Admire, Seldom, Anyone, Earnest

True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Ghosts, Which, Love Is

Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Good, Bad, Set, Bad Example

Our actions seem to have their lucky and unlucky stars, to which a great part of that blame and that commendation is due which is given to the actions themselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Lucky, Which, Given, Unlucky

Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hypocrisy, Virtue, Vice, Pays

What keeps us from abandoning ourselves entirely to one vice, often, is the fact that we have several.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Fact, Vice, Abandoning, Entirely

The surest way to be deceived is to consider oneself cleverer than others.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Deceived, Than, Surest, Surest Way

Our aversion to lying is commonly a secret ambition to make what we say considerable, and have every word received with a religious respect.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Say, Religious, Commonly, Considerable

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

More, Wiser, Grows, Foolish

If we judge love by most of its effects, it resembles rather hatred than affection.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Most, Effects, Affection

We are easily comforted for the misfortunes of our friends, when those misfortunes give us an occasion of expressing our affection and solicitude.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Give, Occasion, Misfortunes, Affection

Self-interest makes some people blind, and others sharp-sighted.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Blind, Some, Makes, Self-Interest

The desire of talking of ourselves, and showing those faults we do not mind having seen, makes up a good part of our sincerity.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, Desire, Having, Sincerity

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Money, Bad, Which, Currency

We pardon to the extent that we love.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Extent, Pardon

We often pardon those that annoy us, but we cannot pardon those we annoy.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Annoy, Cannot, We Cannot, Pardon

It's the height of folly to want to be the only wise one.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Wise, Want, Folly, Height

As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so small wits seem to have the gift of speaking much and saying nothing.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gift, Small, Wits, Characteristic

The sure mark of one born with noble qualities is being born without envy.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Envy, Born, Sure, Mark

We do not praise others, ordinarily, but in order to be praised ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Praise, Praised, Ourselves, Ordinarily

Some people displease with merit, and others' very faults and defects are pleasing.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Some, Very, Defects, Pleasing

We are so used to dissembling with others that in time we come to deceive and dissemble with ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Time, Used, Come, Deceive

We are more often treacherous through weakness than through calculation.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Through, More, Calculation, Treacherous

There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to us; and the other, from pride which comes from the wish to know what others are ignorant of.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Desire, Other, Which, Useful

Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men, Cleverest, Biggest, Idiots

Innocence does not find near so much protection as guilt.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Guilt, Innocence, Does, Near

If we had no faults of our own, we should not take so much pleasure in noticing those in others.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Own, Pleasure, Had, Noticing

However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Friendship, However, True Love

Why can we remember the tiniest detail that has happened to us, and not remember how many times we have told it to the same person.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Why, How Many Times, Tiniest, Detail

Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy they are, who already possess it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Before, Set, Examine, Hearts

Not all those who know their minds know their hearts as well.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Minds, Know, Well, Hearts

The reason that lovers never weary each other is because they are always talking about themselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Reason, Never, Always, Weary

There is many a virtuous woman weary of her trade.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Woman, Trade, Her, Weary

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Desire, Clever, Often, Keeps

Philosophy finds it an easy matter to vanquish past and future evils, but the present are commonly too hard for it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Past, Philosophy, Commonly, Vanquish

The intellect is always fooled by the heart.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Heart, Always, Intellect, Fooled

We often forgive those who bore us, but we cannot forgive those whom we bore.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Forgiveness, We Cannot, Whom, Bore

Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Memory, Not Good Enough, Triviality

How is it that we remember the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not remember how often we have recounted it to the same person?

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Remember, How, Same, Triviality

It is not enough to have great qualities; We should also have the management of them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Management, Should, Qualities

Love often leads on to ambition, but seldom does one return from ambition to love.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Ambition, Leads, Return

It is easier to be wise for others than for ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Wise, Than, Ourselves, Easier

It is easier to know men in general, than men in particular.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men, General, Than, Easier

Pride, which inspires us with so much envy, is sometimes of use toward the moderating of it too.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Envy, Which, Toward, Inspires

There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious through their splendor, number and excess.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Through, Which, Splendor, Excess

We may sooner be brought to love them that hate us, than them that love us more than we would have them do.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, May, Brought, To Love

Men often pass from love to ambition, but they seldom come back again from ambition to love.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Ambition, Pass, To Love

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

Made, May, Thus, Appear

A wise man thinks it more advantageous not to join the battle than to win.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Wise, Battle, More, Wise Man

Perfect behavior is born of complete indifference.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Born, Perfect, Indifference, Complete

We promise in proportion to our hopes, and we deliver in proportion to our fears.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Promise, Deliver, Proportion, Hopes

We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Promise, Perform, According, Hopes

Few people have the wisdom to prefer the criticism that would do them good, to the praise that deceives them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Few People, Prefer, Would, Deceives

Some accidents there are in life that a little folly is necessary to help us out of.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Help, Some, Folly, Accidents

We are strong enough to bear the misfortunes of others.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Strong, Enough, Misfortunes, Bear

No men are oftener wrong than those that can least bear to be so.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men, Than, Least, Bear

We are all strong enough to bear other men's misfortunes.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Strong, Other, Misfortunes, Bear

No man is clever enough to know all the evil he does.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Clever, Know, Does, Evil

There are heroes in evil as well as in good.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Good, Heroes, Well, Evil

Funeral pomp is more for the vanity of the living than for the honor of the dead.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Living, More, Than, Funeral

Repentance is not so much remorse for what we have done as the fear of the consequences.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Consequences, Done, Much, Remorse

A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Friendship, Which, Take, Care

Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gratitude, Favors, Secret, Further

In most of mankind gratitude is merely a secret hope of further favors.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gratitude, Mankind, Most, Further

We are very far from always knowing our own wishes.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Knowing, Always, Very, Wishes

Only the contemptible fear contempt.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Fear, Only, Contempt, Contemptible

What makes the pain we feel from shame and jealousy so cutting is that vanity can give us no assistance in bearing them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Pain, Shame, Give, Assistance

To know how to hide one's ability is great skill.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Know, Hide, How, Skill

We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Confess, Large, Our, Persuade

We only confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no big ones.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Big, Only, Confess, Persuade

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.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Fortune, Till, Though, Concur

Many men are contemptuous of riches; few can give them away.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Give, Away, Riches, Contemptuous

Jealousy contains more of self-love than of love.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Jealousy, Self-Love, Contains

People always complain about their memories, never about their minds.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Never, Minds, Always, Complain

There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Hide, Which, Exists

The one thing people are the most liberal with, is their advice.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Advice, Most, One Thing, Liberal

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

Motives, Very, Which, Blush

It is a great act of cleverness to be able to conceal one's being clever.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Clever, Act, Conceal, Cleverness

The principal point of cleverness is to know how to value things just as they deserve.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Deserve, Principal, How, Cleverness

Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail to succeed.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Want, Rather, Means, Few Things

There are very few things impossible in themselves; and we do not want means to conquer difficulties so much as application and resolution in the use of means.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Conquer, Very, Means, Few Things

Neither the sun nor death can be looked at with a steady eye.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Death, Eye, Nor, Steady

On neither the sun, nor death, can a man look fixedly.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Death, Man, Nor, Neither

One forgives to the degree that one loves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Forgiveness, Degree, Loves, Forgives

There is nothing men are so generous of as advice.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men, Advice, Nothing, Generous

He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Wise, Folly, Lives, Thinks

Pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Pride, Wish, Does, Owe

Virtue would go far if vanity did not keep it company.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Keep, Far, Would, Company

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Admire, Always, Whom

One is never fortunate or as unfortunate as one imagines.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Imagination, Never, Fortunate

We are nearer loving those who hate us than those who love us more than we wish.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Wish, Loving, Nearer

The force we use on ourselves, to prevent ourselves from loving, is often more cruel than the severest treatment at the hands of one loved.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hands, Cruel, Treatment, Force

Taste may change, but inclination never.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Change, Never, May, Inclination

Perfect Valor is to do, without a witness, all that we could do before the whole world.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

World, Perfect, Veterans Day, Witness

Silence is the safest course for any man to adopt who distrust himself.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Himself, Distrust, Adopt, Safest

If we are to judge of love by its consequences, it more nearly resembles hatred than friendship.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Friendship, Hatred, Consequences

If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Never, Flattery, Harm, Did

Perhaps being old is having lighted rooms inside your head, and people in them, acting. People you know, yet can't quite name.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Old, Rooms, Having, Perhaps

Old age is a tyrant, who forbids, under pain of death, the pleasures of youth.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Death, Pain, Old, Pleasures

It is with an old love as it is with old age a man lives to all the miseries, but is dead to all the pleasures.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Man Lives, Miseries, Pleasures

How can we expect another to keep our secret if we have been unable to keep it ourselves?

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

How, Expect, Been, Unable

We seldom find any person of good sense, except those who share our opinions.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Sense, Good Sense, Any, Opinions

Most of our faults are more pardonable than the means we use to conceal them.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Conceal, Most, Means, Faults

We easily forgive our friends those faults that do no affect us ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Forgive, Affect, Easily, Faults

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Happiness, Depend, Fortune, Temper

The first lover is kept a long while, when no offer is made of a second.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Offer, Made, Kept, Lover

The heart is forever making the head its fool.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Forever, Head, Making, Fool

There are very few people who are not ashamed of having been in love when they no longer love each other.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Ashamed, Very, Few People

There is only one kind of love, but there are a thousand imitations.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Kind, Imitations, Thousand

When we disclaim praise, it is only showing our desire to be praised a second time.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Desire, Only, Praised, Showing

Every one speaks well of his own heart, but no one dares speak well of his own mind.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, His, Speaks, Dares

A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Desire, Twice, Praised, Refusal

We have no patience with other people's vanity because it is offensive to our own.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Patience, Other, Offensive, Vanity

We say little, when vanity does not make us speak.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Speak, Say, Does, Vanity

Women's virtue is frequently nothing but a regard to their own quiet and a tenderness for their reputation.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Tenderness, Frequently, Virtue

Love can no more continue without a constant motion than fire can; and when once you take hope and fear away, you take from it its very life and being.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Constant, Very, Fire

We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Rather, Than, Would, Speak

He is not to pass for a man of reason who stumbles upon reason by chance but he who knows it and can judge it and has a true taste for it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Chance, Reason, Pass, Judge

In the misfortunes of our best friends we always find something not altogether displeasing to us.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Find, Always, Misfortunes, Altogether

Usually we praise only to be praised.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Praise, Only, Praised

Quarrels would not last long if the fault was only on one side.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Side, Quarrels, Would, Fault

We all have enough strength to endure the misfortunes of others.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Strength, Misfortunes, Endure

We are more interested in making others believe we are happy than in trying to be happy ourselves.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Trying, More, Making, Be Happy

When a man is in love, he doubts, very often, what he most firmly believes.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Most, Firmly, Doubts

The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Surprise, Some, Still, Some Things

A man is sometimes as different from himself as he is from others.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Man, Sometimes, Different, Himself

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

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Thought, Find, Them, Seldom

We are never so ridiculous through what we are as through what we pretend to be.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Never, Through, Pretend, Ridiculous

It is great folly to wish to be wise all alone.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Wisdom, Alone, Folly, Wish

Gracefulness is to the body what understanding is to the mind.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, Body, Understanding

Men give away nothing so liberally as their advice.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men, Give, Away, Advice

The defects of the mind, like those of the face, grow worse with age.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, Face, Grow, Defects

Perfect valour consists in doing without witnesses that which we would be capable of doing before everyone.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Doing, Perfect, Which, Capable

Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

World, Doing, Perfect, Capable

To achieve greatness one should live as if they will never die.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Die, Never, Will, Greatness

When we are in love we often doubt that which we most believe.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Most, Which, Doubt

In love we often doubt what we most believe.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Often, Most, Doubt

Jealously is always born with love but it does not die with it.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Die, Always, Born

In friendship as well as love, ignorance very often contributes more to our happiness than knowledge.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Love, Friendship, Very, Ignorance

The mind cannot long play the heart's role.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Mind, Play, Cannot, Role

Nothing hinders a thing from being natural so much as the straining ourselves to make it seem so.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Nothing, Natural, Being, Seem

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