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Fortune Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

52 Fortune quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

All Fortune quotes Francois de La Rochefoucauld’s page

Francois de La Rochefoucauld ponders how fortune and temperament shape happiness and misfortune. He points out that people often feel more unlucky or lucky than reality shows. He also notes that fortune can mend faults better than reason alone. He suggests that neither luck nor logic alone decides a person’s fate.

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To be a great man it is necessary to know how to profit by the whole of our good fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Most people judge men by their success or their good fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Our wisdom is no less at fortune's mercy than our wealth.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The caprice of our temper is even more whimsical than that of Fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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It requires greater virtues to support good fortune than bad.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Our temper sets a price upon every gift that we receive from fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Our probity is not less at the mercy of fortune than our property.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Fortune mends more faults in us than ever reason would be able to do.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Folly pursues us at all periods of our lives. If someone seems wise it is only because his follies are proportionate to…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The whimsicalness of our own humor is a thousand times more fickle and unaccountable than what we blame so much in fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The contempt of riches in the philosophers was a concealed desire of revenging on fortune the injustice done to their merit, by…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Good and bad fortune are found severally to visit those who have the most of the one or the other.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Moderation in people who are contented comes from that calm that good fortune lends to their spirit.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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High fortune makes both our virtues and vices stand out as objects that are brought clearly to view by the light.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Men's happiness and misery depends altogether as much upon their own humor as it does upon fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting the envy and contempt which those merit who are intoxicated with their good fortune;…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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When the philosophers despised riches, it was because they had a mind to vindicate their own merit, and take revenge upon the…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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There is something to be said for jealousy, because it only designs the preservation of some good which we either have or…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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When fortune surprises us by giving us some great office without having gradually led us to expect it, or without having raised…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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There is a kind of elevation which does not depend on fortune; it is a certain air which distinguishes us, and seems…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Moderation is a fear of falling into that envy and contempt which those who grow giddy with their good fortune quite justly…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The contempt of riches in philosophers was only a hidden desire to avenge their merit upon the injustice of fortune, by despising…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Love of glory, fear of shame, greed for fortune, the desire to make life agreeable and comfortable, and the wish to depreciate…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The happiness and misery of men depend no less on temper than fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Fortune never seems so blind to any as to those on whom she bestows no favors.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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We are never either so fortunate or so misfortunate as we imagine.

Francois De La Rochefoucauld

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Fortune converts everything to the advantage of her favorites.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Fortune makes our virtues and vices visible, just as light does the objects of sight.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Our wisdom lies as much at the mercy of fortune as our possessions do.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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It takes more strength of character to withstand good fortune than bad.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The most brilliant fortunes are often not worth the littleness required to gain them.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Fortune turns all things to the advantage of those on whom she smiles.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The greater part of mankind judge of men only by their fashionableness or their fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Fortune cures us of many faults that reason could not.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Fortune never appears so blind as to those to whom she does no good.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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No one thinks fortune so blind as those she has been least kind to.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Fancy sets the value on the gifts of fortune.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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The moderation of people in prosperity is the effect of a smooth and composed temper, owing to the calm of their good…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”

François de La Rochefoucauld

Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld