World Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The world more often rewards the appearances of merit than merit itself.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The world is full of pots jeering at kettles.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Perfect Valor is to do, without a witness, all that we could do before the whole world.

— 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

Truth does not do as much good in the world as its imitations do harm.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Self-love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In order to succeed in the world people do their upmost to appear successful.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Truth does less good in the world than its appearances do harm.

— 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

The praise we give to new comers into the world arises from the envy we bear to those who are established.

— 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

We should often blush for our very best actions, if the world did but see all the motives upon which they were…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Those whom the world has delighted to honor have oftener been influenced in their doings by ambition and vanity than by patriotism.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The esteem of good men is the reward of our worth, but the reputation of the world in general is the gift…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We should often feel ashamed of our best actions if the world could see all the motives which produced them.

— 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

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

The hate of favourites is only a love of favour. The envy of NOT possessing it, consoles and softens its regrets by…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We judge so superficially of things, that common words and actions spoke and done in an agreeable manner, with some knowledge of…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

He that fancies such a sufficiency in himself that he can live without all the world is greatly mistaken; but he that…

— 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

Humility is often only the putting on of a submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them;…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

True bravery means doing alone that which one could do if all the world were by.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To establish oneself in the world, one does all one can to seem established there already.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

True bravery is shown by performing without witness what one might be capable of doing before all the world.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To establish yourself in the world a person must do all they can to appear already established.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We should gain more by letting the world see what we are than by trying to seem what we are not.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

As the great ones of this world are unable to bestow health of body or peace of mind, we always pay too…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In all aspects of life, we take on a part and an appearance to seem to be what we wish to be--and…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To establish ourselves in the world, we have to do all we can to appear established. To succeed in the world, we…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There is such a thing as a general revolution which changes the taste of men as it changes the fortunes of the…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Self-love is the love of a man's own self, and of everything else for his own sake. It makes people idolaters to…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We should often blush at our noblest deeds if the world were to see all their underlying motives.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The appearances of goodness and merit often meet with a greater reward from the world than goodness and merit themselves.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

He who imagines he can do without the world deceives himself much; but he who fancies the world cannot do without him…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld