FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD QUOTES V

French author (1613-1680)

Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims


An extraordinary haste to discharge an obligation is a sort of ingratitude.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims


Philosophy triumphs easily over past evils and future evils; but present evils triumph over it.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Tags: philosophy


A fool has not stuff enough to make a good man.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims


He who imagines he can do without the world deceives himself much; but he who fancies the world can't do without him is yet more mistaken.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims


The surest way to be deceived is to think oneself more clever than others.

FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Maxims

Tags: intelligence


To be a great man one should know how to profit by every phase of fortune.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Tags: fortune


Some weak people are sensible of their weakness and able to make good use of it.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims

Tags: weakness


Our enemies come nearer the truth in the opinions they form of us than we do in our opinion of ourselves.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Tags: enemies


We may appear great in an employment below our merit; but we often appear little in an employment that is too great for us.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims


The art of being able to make a good use of moderate abilities wins esteem and often confers more reputation than real merit.

FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Tags: merit


Hypocrisy is the homage of vice to virtue.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims

Tags: hypocrisy


The clemency of Princes is often but policy to win the affections of the people.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims


The only good copies are those that point out the ridicule of bad originals.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims


There are crimes which become innocent, and even glorious, through their splendor, number, and excess: Hence it is, that public theft is called Address, and to seize on Provinces unjustly, to make Conquests.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims

Tags: crime


We sometimes condemn the present, by praising the past; and show our contempt of what is now, by our esteem for what is no more.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims

Tags: past


The passions possess a certain injustice and self interest which makes it dangerous to follow them, and in reality we should distrust them even when they appear most trustworthy.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Tags: passion


Those who have had great passions often find all their lives made miserable in being cured of them.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Tags: passion


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

attributed, Wisdom for the Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing

Tags: possibility


The dullness of certain people is sometimes a sufficient security against the attack of an artful man.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

Moral Maxims