Men Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld · Page 3

Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and sometimes renders the most foolish man clever.

— 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

We exaggerate the glory of some men in order to detract from that of others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

Old men are fond of giving good advice to console themselves for their inability to give bad examples.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There are a great many men valued in society who have nothing to recommend them but serviceable vices.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The great interests of man: air and light, the joy of having a body, the voluptuousness of looking.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

He that would be a great man must learn to turn every accident to some advantage.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To awaken a man who is deceived as to his own merit is to do him as bad a turn as that…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The same strength of character which helps a man resist love, helps to make it more violent and lasting too. People of…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. The glory of great men…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Men are often so foolish as to boast and value themselves upon their passions, even those that are most vicious. But envy…

— 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

In every walk of life each man puts on a personality and outward appearance so as to look what he wants to…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

What men have called friendship is only a social arrangement, a mutual adjustment of interests, an interchange of services given and received;…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hope is the last thing that dies in man; and though it be exceedingly deceitful, yet it is of this good use…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

If a man doesn't find ease in himself, 'tis in vain to seek it elsewhere.

— 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

He is a truly virtuous man who wishes always to be open to the observation of honest men.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A man, in order to establish himself in the world, does everything he can to appear established there.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We should not judge a man's merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There is scarcely any man sufficiently clever to appreciate all the evil he does.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There is no better proof of a man's being truly good than his desiring to be constantly under the observation of good…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The fame of great men ought to be judged always by their big, fancy names.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The happiness and unhappiness of men depends as much on their ethics as on fortune.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail to succeed.

— 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

Men would not live in society long if they were not each others dupes.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Nothing ought more to humiliate men who have merited great praise than the care they still take to boast of little things.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is not always from valor or from chastity that men are brave, and women chaste.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A man is sometimes better off deceived about the one he loves, than undeceived.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A clever man should handle his interests so that each will fall in suitable order of their value.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A clever man reaps some benefit from the worst catastrophe, and a fool can turn even good luck to his disadvantage.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The dullness of certain people is sometimes a sufficient security against the attack of an artful man.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The happiness and misery of men depend no less on temper than fortune.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Vanity, shame, and above all disposition, often make men brave and women chaste.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Passion very often makes the wisest men fools, and very often too inspires the greatest fools with wit.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The good or the bad fortune of men depends not less upon their own dispositions than upon fortune.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In infants, levity is a prettiness; in men a shameful defect; but in old age, a monstrous folly.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld