la Rochefoucauld, Francois
To establish ourselves in the world, we have to do all we can to appear established. To succeed in the world, we do everything we can to appear successful.
- la Rochefoucauld, Francois
Ability wins us the esteem of the true men; luck that of the people.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
There is great ability in knowing how to conveal one's ability.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Absence cools moderate passions, and inflames violent ones; just as the wind blows out candles, but kindles fires.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Age is a tyrant, who forbids, at the penalty of life, all the pleasures of youth.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Avarice is more directly opposed to thrift than generosity is.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
The passions do very often give birth to others of a nature most contrary to their own. Thus avarice sometimes brings forth prodigality, and prodigality avarice; a man’s resolution is very often the effect of levity, and his boldness that of cowardice and fear.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
We often forgive those who bore us, but we cannot forgive those whom we bore.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Perfect valour consists in doing without witnesses that which we would be capable of doing before everyone.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Cunning and treachery are the offspring of incapacity.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Plenty of people wish to become devout, but no one wishes to be humble.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
There is only one sort of love, but there are a thousand copies.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undeceived by them.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
There may be good, but there are no pleasant marriages.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Moderation has been called a virtue to limit the ambition of great men, and to console undistinguished people for their want of fortune and their lack of merit.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Philosophy triumphs easily over past and future evils; but present evils triumph over it.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
The virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and nothing but what is necessary.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised.
- La Rochefoucauld, François
