Virtue Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtue would go far if vanity did not keep it company.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Self-love, as it happens to be well or ill conducted, constitutes virtue and vice.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It requires greater virtues to support good fortune than bad.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We endeavor to make a virtue of the faults we are unwilling to correct.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Our virtues are often, in reality, no better than vices disguised.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Weakness is more opposed to virtue than is vice.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is not always for virtue's sake that women are virtuous.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

When we exaggerate our friends' tenderness towards us, it is often less from gratitude than from a desire to exhibit our own…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue.

— 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

For the credit of virtue we must admit that the greatest misfortunes of men are those into which they fall through their…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To praise princes for virtues they do not possess is to insult them without fear of consequences.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Moderation is represented as a virtue in order to restrain the ambition of great men, and to console those of a meaner…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is often laziness and timidity that keep us within our duty while virtue gets all the credit.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“What we term virtue is often but a mass of various actions and diverse interests, which fortune, or our own industry, manage…

— François de La Rochefoucauld

Of all our faults, the one we avow most easily is idleness; we persuade ourselves that it is allied to all the…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The vices enter into the composition of the virtues, as poisons into that of medicines. Prudence collects and arranges them, and uses…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

What we take for virtue is often but an assemblage of various ambitions and activities that chance, or our own astuteness, have…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Humility is the sure evidence of Christian virtues. Without it, we retain all our faults still, and they are only covered over…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is a mistake to imagine, that the violent passions only, such as ambition and love, can triumph over the rest. Idleness,…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

However wicked men may be, they do not dare openly to appear the enemies of virtue, and when they desire to persecute…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is a mighty error to suppose that none but violent and strong passions, such as love and ambition, are able to…

— 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

Our virtues are most often but our vices disguised

— François De La Rochefoucauld

Men frequently do good only to give themselves opportunity of doing ill with impunity.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Hypocrisy is the homage which vice pays to virtue

— François De La Rochefoucauld

When our vices desert us, we flatter ourselves that we are deserting our vices.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtues lose themselves in self-interest, as rivers in the sea.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtue is to the soul what health is tot he body.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There are certain defects which, well-mounted, glitter like virtue itself.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Whilst weakness and timidity keep us to our duty, virtue has often all the honor.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The virtues and vices are all put in motion by interest.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

If vanity does not entirely overthrow the virtues, at least it makes them all totter.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtue would not go to such lengths if vanity did not keep her company

— François De La Rochefoucauld

Idleness and fear keeps us in the path of duty, but our virtue often gets the praise.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The word virtue is as useful to self-interest as the vices.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Fortune makes our virtues and vices visible, just as light does the objects of sight.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld