Passion Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men never desire anything very eagerly which they desire only by the dictates of reason.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

If we resist our passions, it is more due to their weakness than our strength.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Women can more easily conquer their passion than their coquetterie.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The passions are the only orators which always persuade.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

All the passions make us commit faults; love makes us commit the most ridiculous ones.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The passions often engender their contraries.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The most violent passions sometimes leave us at rest, but vanity agitates us constantly.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In their early passions women are in love with the lover, later they are in love with love.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We often pride ourselves on even the most criminal passions, but envy is a timid and shamefaced passion we never dare to…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Great and glorious events which dazzle the beholder are represented by politicians as the outcome of grand designs whereas they are usually…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Passion often makes a fool of the cleverest man and often makes the most foolish men clever

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We should desire very few things passionately if we did but perfectly know the nature of the things we desire.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

— François de La Rochefoucauld

Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and sometimes renders the most foolish man clever.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

No matter how much care we put into hiding our passions under the appearances of devotion and honor, they can always be…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The health of the soul is something we can be no more sure of than that of the body; and though a…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

L'absence diminue les mediocres passions, et augmente les grandes,comme le vent eteint les bougies, et allume le feu. Absence diminishes commonplace passions,…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The heart of man ever finds a constant succession of passions, so that the destroying and pulling down of one proves generally…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The same strength of character which helps a man resist love, helps to make it more violent and lasting too. People of…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men are often so foolish as to boast and value themselves upon their passions, even those that are most vicious. But envy…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The health of the soul is as precarious as that of the body; for when we seem secure from passions, we are…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The passions are the only orators that always persuade: they are, as it were, a natural art, the rules of which are…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It appears that nature has hid at the bottom of our hearts talents and abilities unknown to us. It is only the…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is a mighty error to suppose that none but violent and strong passions, such as love and ambition, are able to…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Indolence, languid as it is, often masters both passions and virtues.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Women can less easily surmount their coquetry than their passions.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

All the passions are nothing else than different degrees of heat and cold of the blood.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

However we may conceal our passions under the veil ... there is always some place where they peep out.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The pleasure of love is in loving; we are happier in the passion we feel than in what we inspire.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Absence cools moderate passions, and inflames violent ones; just as the wind blows out candles, but kindles fires.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Passions often produce their contraries: avarice sometimes leads to prodigality, and prodigality to avarice; we are often obstinate through weakness and daring…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Some men are so full of themselves that when they fall in love, they amuse themselves rather with their own passion than…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The duration of our passions is no more dependent on ourselves than the duration of our lives.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

When the soul is ruffled by the remains of one passion, it is more disposed to entertain a new one than when…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The reason why most women have so little sense of friendship is that this is but a cold and flat passion to…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The passions possess a certain injustice and self interest which makes it dangerous to follow them, and in reality we should distrust…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In the human heart there is a ceaseless birth of passions, so that the destruction of one is almost always the establishment…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Passion very often makes the wisest men fools, and very often too inspires the greatest fools with wit.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld