There are heroes of wickedness, as there are of goodness. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
It is often hard to determine whether a clear, open, and honorable proceeding is the result of goodness or of cunning. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Men frequently do good only to give themselves opportunity of doing ill with impunity. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Some good qualities are like the senses: Those who are entirely deprived of them can have no notion of them. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
“Nobody deserves to be praised for goodness unless he is strong enough to be bad.” — François de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Our good qualities expose us more to hatred and persecution than all the ill we do. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The appearances of goodness and merit often meet with a greater reward from the world than goodness and merit themselves. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
There are bad people who would be less dangerous if they were quite devoid of goodness. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Nothing is rarer than true good nature; they who are reputed to have it are generally only pliant or weak. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
None deserve praise for being good who have not the spirit to be bad: goodness, for the most part, is nothing but… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Pride has a greater share than goodness in the reproofs we give other people for their faults; and we chide them not… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
No man deserves to be praised for his goodness, who has it not in his power to be wicked. Goodness without that… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.” — François de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
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 Copy Share
A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
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 Copy Share
It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
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 Copy Share
The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share
