--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Absence diminishes mediocre passions and…" description: "\"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_absence_absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and_565445.png" --- # Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great… ![“Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_absence_absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and_565445.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_absence_absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and_565445.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_absence_absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and_565445.png) > “Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.” [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rochefoucauld notes that neglect weakens small passions while intensifying great ones, likening it to wind that douses candles but fuels fires. **In simple terms:** Neglect weakens small passions, fuels great ones. Key Takeaway Recognize how neglect shapes desire. Themes passion neglect intensity growth contrast Mood contemplative insightful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - relationship counseling - career planning - creative pursuits Key Concepts human nature psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What passions grow when others are ignored? - How can we harness this to pursue meaningful goals? A Different Perspective May generalize human behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, as wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-little-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-wind/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-the-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [L'absence diminue les mediocres passions, et augmente les grandes,comme le vent eteint les bougies, et allume le feu. Absence diminishes commonplace passions, and increases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/l-absence-diminue-les-mediocres-passions-et-augmente-les-grandes/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Absence weakens mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind blows out candles and kindles fires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-weakens-mediocre-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-the/) [François De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-small-loves-and-increases-great-ones-as-the-wind/) [Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absence-diminishes-small-loves-and-increases-great-ones-as-the-wind-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Yet—some Frenchman had written—“absence diminishes commonplace passions and enhances great ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-johnson/yet-some-frenchman-had-written-absence-diminishes-commonplace/) [Diane Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-johnson/) > [“Absence is to love what wind is to fire, it extinguishes the small, it ignites the great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-de-rabutin-comte-de-bussy-2/absence-is-to-love-what-wind-is-to-fire-it-extinguishes-the-small-it-3/) Roger de Rabutin comte de Bussy > [Absence is to love as wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small and kindles the great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-de-bussy-rabutin/absence-is-to-love-as-wind-is-to-fire-it-extinguishes-the-small-and/) Roger De Bussy-Rabutin > [“Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it inflames the great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-de-bussy-rabutin/absence-is-to-love-what-wind-is-to-fire-it-extinguishes-the-small-it-2/) Roger de Bussy-Rabutin > [Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absence-is-to-love-what-wind-is-to-fire-it-extinguishes-the-small-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wind feeds the fire, and wind extinguishes: The flames are nourished by a gentle breeze, Yet, if it stronger grows, they sink and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/wind-feeds-the-fire-and-wind-extinguishes-the-flames-are-nourished-by/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Distance is to love like wind is to fire...it extinguishes the small and kindles the great!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sahleenzkie/distance-is-to-love-like-wind-is-to-fire-it-extinguishes-the-small/) [Sahleenzkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sahleenzkie/) > [Absence is to love as wind is to fire: it extinguishes the little flame, it fans the big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/absence-is-to-love-as-wind-is-to-fire-it-extinguishes-the-little/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The same wind that extinguishes a light can set a brazier on fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-beaumarchais/the-same-wind-that-extinguishes-a-light-can-set-a-brazier-on-fire/) [Pierre Beaumarchais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-beaumarchais/) ## More by Francois de La Rochefoucauld > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-woman-is-faithful-to-her-first-lover-for-a-long-time-unless-she/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-persons-are-more-frequently-wrong-than-those-who-will-not-admit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-of-all-gifts-is-the-power-to-estimate-things-at-their/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-have-not-strength-enough-to-follow-our-reason-so-far-as-it-would/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 1,134 Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/) [Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/) > [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/) [William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/) > [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/) [Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/) > [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [We must begin by acknowledging that there is a complete absence of two things in Indian Society. One of these is equality. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-that-there-is-a-complete-absence-of/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_absence_absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and_565445.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_absence_absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and_565445.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_absence_absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and_565445.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans…” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-mediocre-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```