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 Copy Share Image
The great interests of man: air and light, the joy of having a body, the voluptuousness of looking. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
A wise man should order his interests, and set them all in their proper places. This order is often troubled by greed,… — 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
Whatever pretended causes we may blame our afflictions upon, it is often nothing but self-interest and vanity that produce them. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Virtues lose themselves in self-interest, as rivers in the sea. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The person giving the advice returns the confidence placed in him with a disinterested eagerness... and he is usually guided only by… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Luxury and excessive refinement are sure forerunners of the decadence of states, because when all individuals seek their own interests they neglect… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
What makes us so often discontented with those who transact business for us is that they almost always abandon the interest of… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
We often persuade ourselves to love people who are more powerful than we are, yet interest alone produces our friendship; we do… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Whatever pretext we may give for our affections, often it is only interest and vanity which cause them. — 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
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 Copy Share Image
We do not like to praise, and seldom praise anyone without self-interest. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The most ingenious men continually pretend to condemn tricking--but this is often done that they may use it more conveniently themselves, when… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Avarice often produces opposite results: there are an infinite number of persons who sacrifice their property to doubtful and distant expectations; others… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Loyalty is in most people only a ruse used by self-interest to attract confidence. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Self-interest speaks all manner of tongues and plays all manner of parts, even that of disinterestedness. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
A clever man should handle his interests so that each will fall in suitable order of their value. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Friendship is only a reciprocal conciliation of interests, and an exchange of good offices; it is a species of commerce out of… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
What we take for high-mindedness is very often no other than ambition well disguised, that scorns means interests, only to pursuegreater. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
What we take for virtue is often nothing but an assemblage of different actions, and of different interests, that fortune or our… — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Boredom ... causes us to neglect more duties than does interest. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Men more easily renounce their interests than their tastes. — 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 Image
Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.” — François de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong. — Francois de La Rochefoucauld Copy Share Image
