May Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

How deceitful hope may be, yet she carries us on pleasantly to the end of life.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To praise great actions with sincerity may be said to be taking part in them.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A respectable man may love madly, but not foolishly.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A gentleman may love like a lunatic, but not like a beast.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A man may be sharper than another, but not than all others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Taste may change, but inclination never.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

One may outwit another, but not all the others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Man only blames himself in order that he may be praised.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There is no accident so unfortunate but wise men will make some advantage of it, nor any so entirely fortunate but fools…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Whatever discoveries we may have made in the regions of self-love, there still remain many unknown lands.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There are no accidents so unlucky but the prudent may draw some advantage from them.

— 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

Pity is often a reflection of our own evils in the ills of others. It is a delicate foresight of the troubles…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men may boast of their great actions; but they are more often the effects of chance than of design.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

One man may be more cunning than another, but no one can be more cunning than all the world.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Only strong natures can really be sweet ones; those that seem sweet are in general only weak, and may easily turn sour.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Pity is a sense of our own misfortunes in those of another man; it is a sort of foresight of the disasters…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Praise is a more ingenious, concealed, and subtle kind of flattery, that satisfies both the giver and the receiver, though by verydifferent…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In all professions each affects a look and an exterior to appear what he wishes the world to believe that he is.…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Though most of the friendships of the world ill deserve the name of friendships; yet a man may make use of them…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Gratitude is like the good faith of traders: it maintains commerce, and we often pay, not because it is just to discharge…

— 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

People that are conceited of their own merit take pride in being unfortunate, that themselves and others may think them considerable enough…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Spiritual health is no more stable than bodily; and though we may seem unaffected by the passions we are just as liable…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtue is the habit of acting according to wisdom. GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ, "Felicity", Leibniz: Political Writings Virtue is harder to be got…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Some allow themselves to be overcome by panic, and others charge because they dare not remain at their posts. Some may be…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We may sooner be brought to love them that hate us, than them that love us more than we would have them…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A man's wits are better employed in bearing up under the misfortunes that lie upon him at present than in foreseeing those…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

No accidents are so unlucky [bad] but that the wise may draw some advantage [good] from them...

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

That man, we may be sure, is a person of true worth, whom those who envy him most are yet forced to…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Whatever pretext we may give for our affections, often it is only interest and vanity which cause them.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Those who have the most cunning affect all their lives to condemn cunning; that they may make use of it on some…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We may seem great in an employment below our worth, but we very often look little in one that is too big…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

Whatever distrust we may have of the sincerity of those who converse with us, we always believe they will tell us more…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is much better to learn to deal with the ills we have now than to speculate on those that may befall…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There may be talent without position, but there is no position without some kind of talent.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

However much we may distrust men's sincerity, we always believe they speak to us more sincerely than to others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Our repentances are generally not so much a concern and remorse for the harm we have done, as a fear of the…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We may say of agreeableness, as distinct from beauty, that it is a symmetry whose rules are unknown.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld