There is merit without rank, but there is no rank without some merit. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
We are never so happy, nor so unhappy, as we suppose ourselves to be. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
In friendship as well as love, ignorance very often contributes more to our happiness than knowledge. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
There are several remedies which will cure love, but there are no infallible ones. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Our self-love can less bear to have our tastes than our opinions condemned. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
As uncommon a thing as true love is, it is yet easier to find than true friendship. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Love has its name borrowed by a great number of dealings and affairs that are attributed to it--in which it has no… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
If one judges love according to the greatest part of the effects it produces, it would appear to resemble rather hatred than… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The better part of one's life consists of his friendships. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, letter to Joseph Gillespie, July 13, 1849 Friendship is insipid… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The force we use on ourselves, to prevent ourselves from loving, is often more cruel than the severest treatment at the hands… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
What men call friendship is no more than a partnership, a mutual care of interests, an exchange of favors - in a… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
It is impossible to love a second time what we have really ceased to love. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Propriety is the least of all laws, and the most observed. — 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