Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We seldom find any person of good sense, except those who share our opinions.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Those who are incapable of committing great crimes do not readily suspect them in others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is much easier to seem fitted for posts we do not fill than for those we do.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A man is sometimes as different from himself as he is from others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A resolution never to deceive exposes a man to be often deceived.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The rust of business is sometimes polished off in a camp; but never in a court.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We are never so happy, nor so unhappy, as we suppose ourselves to be.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

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

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Perfect valour consists in doing without witnesses that which we would be capable of doing before everyone.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Nothing is so capable of diminishing self-love as the observation that we disapprove at one time what we approve at another.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hope, deceiving as it is, serves at least to lead us to the end of our lives by an agreeable route.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There is real love just as there are real ghosts; every person speaks of it, few persons have seen it.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Penetration has an air of divination; it pleases our vanity more than any other quality of the mind.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men's happiness and misery depends altogether as much upon their own humor as it does upon fortune.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Ordinary men commonly condemn what is beyond them.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We all have enough strength to endure the misfortunes of others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Silence is the safest policy if you are unsure of yourself.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We never desire strongly, what we desire rationally.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Avarice is more opposite to economy than liberality.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We can be more clever than one, but not more clever than all.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The truest mark of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Our merit gains us the esteem of the virtuous-our star that of the public.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Everyone praises his heart, none dare praise their understanding.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There are several remedies which will cure love, but there are no infallible ones.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Our self-love can less bear to have our tastes than our opinions condemned.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We are lazier in our minds than in our bodies.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Wit sometimes enables us to act rudely with impunity.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There are few women whose charm survives their beauty.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It's the height of folly to want to be the only wise one.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Few are sufficiently wise to prefer censure which is useful to praise which is treacherous.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Civility is a desire to receive civilities, and to be accounted well-bred.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hope, deceitful as it is, carries us through life agreeably enough.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We have more indolence in the mind than in the body.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“True Valour would do all that, when alone, that it could do, if all the World were by.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

The clemency of Princes is often but policy to win the affections of the people.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Ideas often flash across our minds more complete than we could make them after much labor.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld