La Rochefoucauld Quotes
When a man must force himself to be faithful in his love, this is hardly better than unfaithfulness.
If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.
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.
The violence we do to ourselves in order to remain faithful to the one we love is hardly better than an act of infidelity.
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.
Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy they are, who already possess it.
The moderation of people in prosperity is the effect of a smooth and composed temper, owing to the calm of their good fortune.
It is a common fault never to be satisfied with our fortune, nor dissatisfied with our understanding.
If we have not peace within ourselves, it is in vain to seek it from outward sources.
We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them.
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.
The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
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.
Politeness is a desire to be treated politely, and to be esteemed polite oneself.
Perfect Valor is to do, without a witness, all that we could do before the whole world.
There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.
It is with true love as it is with ghosts; everyone talks about it, but few have seen it.
Folly pursues us at all periods of our lives. If someone seems wise it is only because his follies are proportionate to his age and fortune.
Gallantry of mind consists in saying flattering things in an agreeable manner.
We always love those who admire us, but we do not always love those whom we admire.
We are more often treacherous through weakness than through calculation.
We have no patience with other people's vanity because it is offensive to our own.
What makes lovers never tire of one another is that they talk always about themselves.
Most frequently we make confidants from vanity, a love of talking, a wish to win the confidence of others, and to make an exchange of secrets.
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?
A man's happiness or unhappiness depends as much on his temperament as on his destiny.
If we are to judge of love by its consequences, it more nearly resembles hatred than friendship.
Philosophy triumphs easily over past evils and future evils, but present evils triumph over it.
I always say to myself, what is the most important thing we can think about at this extraordinary moment.
How can we expect another to keep our secret if we have been unable to keep it ourselves?
Jealousy is the greatest of all evils, and the one that arouses the least pity in the person who causes it.
We seldom find people ungrateful so long as it is thought we can serve them.
The man that thinks he loves his mistress for her own sake is mightily mistaken.