La Rochefoucauld Quotes
Passions often produce their contraries: avarice sometimes leads to prodigality, and prodigality to avarice; we are often obstinate through weakness and daring through timidity.
A well-trained mind has less difficulty in submitting to than in guiding an ill-trained mind.
That conduct often seems ridiculous the secret reasons of which are wise and solid.
Men sometimes think they hate flattery, but they hate only the manner of flattering.
What makes false reckoning, as regards gratitude, is that the pride of the giver and the receiver cannot agree as to the value of the benefit.
The health of the soul is as precarious as that of the body; for when we seem secure from passions, we are no less in danger of their infection than we are of falling ill when we appear to be well.
The sicknesses of the soul have their ups and downs like those of the body; what we take to be a cure is most often merely a respite or change of disease.
Spiritual health is no more stable than bodily; and though we may seem unaffected by the passions we are just as liable to be carried away by them as to fall ill when in good health.
As the great ones of this world are unable to bestow health of body or peace of mind, we always pay too high a price for any good they can do.
We should not be much concerned about faults we have the courage to own.
Women in love sooner forgive great indiscretions than small infidelities.
The only thing that should astonish us is that anything can yet astonish us.
Were we faultless, we would not derive such satisfaction from remarking the faults of others.
The reason why most women have so little sense of friendship is that this is but a cold and flat passion to those that have felt that of love.
Things often offer themselves to our mind in a more finished form in the very first thought, than we might have made them by muchart and study.
Our merit gains us the esteem of the virtuous-our star that of the public.
It is with sincere affection or friendship as with ghosts and apparitions,--a thing that everybody talks of, and scarce any hath seen.
As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is that of little minds to use many words to say nothing.
We are always bored by the very people by whom it is vital not to be bored.
He who refuses praise the first time that it is offered does so because he would hear it a second time.
We confess to little faults only to persuade ourselves we have no great ones.
There are people who in spite of their merit disgust us and others who please us in spite of their faults.
The person giving the advice returns the confidence placed in him with a disinterested eagerness... and he is usually guided only by his own interest or reputation.
People would never fall in love if they hadn't heard love talked about.
It is sometimes a point of as much cleverness to know to make good use of advice from others as to be able give good advice to oneself.
Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves nor take away from themselves.
That which occasions so many mistakes in the computations of men, when they expect return for favors, is that the giver's pride and the receiver's cannot agree upon the value of the kindness done.
We frequently are troublesome to others, when we think it impossible for us ever to be so.
A man is ridiculous less through the characteristics he has than through those he affects to have.
Commonplace minds usually condemn what is beyond the reach of their understanding.
Some disguised deceits counterfeit truth so perfectly that not to be taken in by them would be an error of judgment.
We exaggerate the glory of some men in order to detract from that of others.
The temperament that produces a talent for little things is the opposite of that required for great ones.
The measure of great men should always be measured by the means they have used to acquire it.
Vanity, shame, and above all disposition, often make men brave and women chaste.
What renders other people's vanity insufferable is that it wounds our own.
Whilst weakness and timidity keep us to our duty, virtue has often all the honor.
The only good copies are those which make us see the absurdity of bad originals.