Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In love the deceit generally outstrips the distrust.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We easily forgive our friends those faults that do no affect us ourselves.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

If we never flattered ourselves we should have but scant pleasure.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Tricks and treachery are merely proofs of lack of skill.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We often shed tears that deceive ourselves after deceiving others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Virtue would not make such advances if there were not a little vanity to keep it company.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To praise great actions is in some sense to share 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

We often brag that we are never bored with ourselves, and are so vain as never to think ourselves bad company.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is more difficult for a man to be faithful to his mistress when he is favored than when he is ill…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

All our qualities, whether good or bad, are unstable and ambiguous, and almost all are at the mery of chance.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

There are two kinds of curiosity: the first drives us to seek what serves our own advantage; the other is pride in…

— François De La Rochefoucauld

All men are equally proud. The only difference is that not all take the same methods of showing it.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The whimsicalness of our own humor is a thousand times more fickle and unaccountable than what we blame so much in fortune.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side.

— François De La Rochefoucauld

None but great men are capable of having great flaws.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Too great refinement is false delicacy, and true delicacy is solid refinement.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is easier to be wise for others than for ourselves.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We can never be certain of our courage until we have faced danger…

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We are never either so fortunate or so misfortunate as we imagine.

— Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Tis a sort of coquetry to boast that we never coquet.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

It is a wearisome disease to preserve health by too strict a regimen.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

One can no more look steadily at death than at the sun.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

What is called liberality is often merely the vanity of giving.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The name and pretense of virtue is as serviceable to self-interest as are real vices.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Everyone complains of his memory, and nobody complains of his judgment.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Tis more dishonourable to distrust a friend than to be deceived by him.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To achieve greatness one should live as if they will never die.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The gratitude of most men is but a secret desire of receiving greater benefits.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Fortune converts everything to the advantage of her favorites.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Women do not know all their powers of flirtation.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Solemnity is a device of the body to hide the faults of the mind.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We are always bored by the very people by whom it is vital not to be bored.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The sure way to be cheated is to think one's self more cunning than others.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The most violent passions sometimes leave us at rest, but vanity agitates us constantly.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld