Self-love, as it happens to be well or ill conducted, constitutes virtue and vice. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Our virtues are often, in reality, no better than vices disguised. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The word virtue is as useful to self-interest as the vices. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
When our vices leave us, we like to imagine it is we who are leaving them. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The name and pretense of virtue is as serviceable to self-interest as are real vices. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The vices enter into the composition of the virtues, as poisons into that of medicines. Prudence collects and arranges them, and uses… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
There are a great many men valued in society who have nothing to recommend them but serviceable vices. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
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 Copy Share Image
Nature seems at each man's birth to have marked out the bounds of his virtues and vices, and to have determined how… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
We often credit ourselves with vices the reverse of what we have, thus when weak we boast of our obstinacy. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
It may be said that the vices await us in the journey of life like hosts with whom we must successively lodge;… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Humility is often only the putting on of a submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them;… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Fortune makes our virtues and vices visible, just as light does the objects of sight. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
When our vices desert us, we flatter ourselves that we are deserting our vices. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The virtues and vices are all put in motion by interest. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
What often prevents our abandoning ourselves to a single vice is, our having more than one. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Whilst weakness and timidity keep us to our duty, virtue has often all the honor. — 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
