If we are incapable of finding peace in ourselves, it is pointless to search elsewhere. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Selfishness is the grand moving principle of nine-tenths of our actions. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Action Copy Share Image
If a man doesn't find ease in himself, 'tis in vain to seek it elsewhere. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Love often leads on to ambition, but seldom does one return from ambition to love. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Ambition Copy Share Image
“It is a great act of cleverness to conceal one's being clever.” — François de La Rochefoucauld Clever Copy Share Image
He is a truly virtuous man who wishes always to be open to the observation of honest men. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Conflict Copy Share Image
A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Desire Copy Share Image
The only good imitations are those that poke fun at bad originals. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Creativity Copy Share Image
Philosophy finds it an easy matter to vanquish past and future evils, but the present are commonly too hard for it. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
“We would often be ashamed of our best actions if the world only knew the motives behind them.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Ashamed Copy Share Image
We often pay our debts not because it is only fair that we should, but to make future loans easier. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Those that have had great passions esteem themselves for the rest of their lives fortunate and unfortunate in being cured of them. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
If we had no faults of our own, we should not take so much pleasure in noticing those in others. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Without humility, we keep all our defects; and they are only crusted over by pride, which conceals them from others, and often… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Defects Copy Share Image
Old men are fond of giving good advice to console themselves for their inability to give bad examples. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Advice Copy Share Image
Few things are needed to make a wise man happy; nothing can make a fool content; that is why most men are… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Fool Copy Share Image
The blindness of men is the most dangerous effect of their pride; it seems to nourish and augment it; it deprives them… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Blindness Copy Share Image
We may say of agreeableness, as distinct from beauty, that it consists in a symmetry of which we know not the rules,… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
We often in our misfortunes take that for constancy and patience which is only dejection of mind; we suffer without daring to… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Constancy Copy Share Image
The thing that makes our friendships so short and changeable is that the qualities and dispositions of the soul are very hard… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
One of the greatest and also the commonest of faults is for men to believe that, because they never hear their shortcomings… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Those who are condemned to death affect sometimes a constancy and contempt for death which is only the fear of facing it;… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
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 Bravery Copy Share Image
On why I don't trust democracy without extremely powerful systems of accountability and recall What seems to be generosity is often only… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Accountability Copy Share Image
Silence is the safest course for any man to adopt who distrust himself. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Distrust Copy Share Image
There are reproaches which praise, and praises which defame. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Funny Copy Share Image
The fame of great men ought to be judged always by their big, fancy names. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The desire to seem clever often keeps us from being so. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Clever Copy Share Image
Everyone blames his memory, no one blames his judgment. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The hunger for applause is the source for all conscious literature and heroism — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Applause Copy Share Image
It is our own vanity that makes the vanity of others intolerable to us — François De La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
We often forgive those who bore us, but we cannot forgive those whom we bore. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
We do not like to praise, and seldom praise anyone without self-interest. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Interest Copy Share Image
“The desire to be pitied or to be admired often forms the greater part of our confidence.” — François de La Rochefoucauld Confidence Copy Share Image
“Nothing prevents us being natural so much as the desire to appear so.” — François de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Boredom ... causes us to neglect more duties than does interest. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Boredom Copy Share Image
Criticism sometimes is really praise, and praise sometimes slander. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Criticism Copy Share Image
It requires no small degree of ability to know when to conceal one's ability. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Ability Copy Share Image
We love those who admire us, but not those whom we admire. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
