La Rochefoucauld Quotes

Whatever pretended causes we may blame our afflictions upon, it is often nothing but self-interest and vanity that produce them.

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

The judgments our enemies make about us come nearer to the truth than those we make about ourselves.

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

The qualities we have do not make us so ridiculous as those which we affect to have. [Fr., On n'est jamais si ridicule par les qualites que l'on a que par celles que l'on affecte d'avoir.]

Were we perfectly acquainted with the object, we should never passionately desire it.

We acknowledge that we should not talk of our wives; but we seem not to know that we should talk still less of ourselves.

Some men are so full of themselves that when they fall in love, they amuse themselves rather with their own passion than with theperson they love.

No accidents are so unlucky [bad] but that the wise may draw some advantage [good] from them.

Hatred is stronger than friendship.

Some people are so extremely whiffling and inconsiderable that they are as far from any real faults as from substantial virtues.

We often shed tears that deceive ourselves after deceiving others.

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

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

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

It requires greater virtues to support good fortune than bad.

We should only affect compassion, and carefully avoid having any.

If we had no faults, we would not derive so much pleasure from noting those of other people.

The violence done us by others is often less painful than that which we do to ourselves.

There are no accidents so unlucky but the prudent may draw some advantage from them.

Lovers, when they are no longer in love, find it very hard to break up.

It is easier to rule others than to keep from being ruled oneself.

The esteem of good men is the reward of our worth, but the reputation of the world in general is the gift of our fate.

Bravery in simple soldiers is a dangerous trade, to which they have bound themselves to get their livelihood.

The breeding we give young people is ordinarily but an additional self-love, by which we make them have a better opinion of themselves.

All men are equally proud. The only difference is that not all take the same methods of showing it.

What we cut off from our other faults is very often but so much added to our pride.

We often brag that we are never bored with ourselves, and are so vain as never to think ourselves bad company.

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

It is as proper to have pride in oneself as it ridiculous to show it to others.

Those who are themselves incapable of great crimes are ever backward to suspect others.

Self-interest speaks all manner of tongues and plays all manner of parts, even that of disinterestedness.

To praise princes for virtues they do not possess is to insult them without fear of consequences.

What makes us so bitter against people who outwit us is that they think themselves cleverer than we are.

Love, all agreeable as it is, charms more by the fashion in which it displays itself, than by its own true merit.

The most violent passions sometimes leave us at rest, but vanity agitates us constantly.

Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against life's ills.

In every walk of life each man puts on a personality and outward appearance so as to look what he wants to be thought; in fact you might say that society is entirely made up of assumed personalities.

There is no accident so unfortunate but wise men will make some advantage of it, nor any so entirely fortunate but fools may turn it to their own prejudice.

We frequently do good in order to enable us to do evil later with impunity exemption of punishment.

Tis more dishonourable to distrust a friend than to be deceived by him.

Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a means of attaining it.

There are some disguised falsehoods so like truths, that 'twould be to judge ill not to be deceived by them.

We bear, all of us, the misfortunes of other people with heroic constancy.

Of all the violent passions, the one that becomes a woman best is love.

The generality of men have, like plants, latent properties, which chance brings to light.

Clemency, which we make a virtue of, proceeds sometimes from vanity, sometimes from indolence, often from fear, and almost always from a mixture of all three.

For the credit of virtue we must admit that the greatest misfortunes of men are those into which they fall through their crimes.

It is far better to be deceived than undeceived by those whom we tenderly love.

Fancy sets the value on the gifts of fortune.