--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone takes pleasure in returning…" description: "\"Everyone takes pleasure in returning small obligations, many people acknowledge moderate ones; but there are only a scarce few who do not pay great one..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_acknowledge_everyone-takes-pleasure-in-returning-sma_2655469.jpg" --- # Everyone takes pleasure in returning small obligations… ![“Everyone takes pleasure in returning small obligations, many people acknowledge moderate ones; but there are only a scarce few who do not pay great ones with ingratitude.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_acknowledge_everyone-takes-pleasure-in-returning-sma_2655469.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_acknowledge_everyone-takes-pleasure-in-returning-sma_2655469.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b0/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_acknowledge_everyone-takes-pleasure-in-returning-sma_2655469.jpg) > “Everyone takes pleasure in returning small obligations, many people acknowledge moderate ones; but there are only a scarce few who do not pay great ones with ingratitude.” [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. People readily repay small debts but often neglect larger ones, showing ingratitude toward big obligations. **In simple terms:** We repay small favors but ignore big ones. Key Takeaway Cultivate gratitude for all obligations. Themes gratitude obligation human nature Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - friendship - family duties - work responsibilities Key Concepts moral psychology social reciprocity Questions to Reflect On - Why do we value small favors more? - How can we honor larger debts? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex social dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acknowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acknowledge/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Great ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-ones/) [Ingratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingratitude/) [Moderate Ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moderate-ones-2384285/) [Moderates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moderates/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Obligations People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligations-people-2384284/) [Ones Ingratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ones-ingratitude-2384286/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Scarce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarce/) [Scarce Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarce-pay-2384287/) [Small Obligations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-obligations-659173/) ## Related quotes > [Most people return small favors, acknowledge medium ones and repay greater ones - with ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/most-people-return-small-favors-acknowledge-medium-ones-and-repay/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphry-davy/life-is-made-up-not-of-great-sacrifices-or-duties-but-of-little/) [Humphry Davy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphry-davy/) > [Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/extreme-positions-are-not-succeeded-by-moderate-ones-but-by-contrary/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles, and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-davy/life-is-made-up-not-of-great-sacrifices-or-duties-but-of-little-2/) [Humphrey Davy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-davy/) > [Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones but by extreme positions of the opposite kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/extreme-positions-are-not-succeeded-by-moderate-ones-but-by-extreme/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“One of history’s few iron laws is that luxuries tend to become necessities and to spawn new obligations. Once people get used to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/one-of-history-s-few-iron-laws-is-that-luxuries-tend-to-become/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Christmas is a rare occasion when we are reminded that we have obligations to people we did not choose to be related to, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/christmas-is-a-rare-occasion-when-we-are-reminded-that-we-have/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [“If you want to rule your life with obligations to other people, that’s you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bich-minh-nguyen/if-you-want-to-rule-your-life-with-obligations-to-other-people-that-s/) [Bich Minh Nguyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bich-minh-nguyen/) > [Absence abates a moderate passion and intensifies a great one - as the wind blows out a candle but fans fire into flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/absence-abates-a-moderate-passion-and-intensifies-a-great-one-as-the/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [On why I don't trust democracy without extremely powerful systems of accountability and recall What seems to be generosity is often only disguised ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/on-why-i-don-t-trust-democracy-without-extremely-powerful-systems-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Those who give too much attention to trifling things become generally incapable of great ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/those-who-give-too-much-attention-to-trifling-things-become-generally/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [They that apply themselves to trifling matters commonly become incapable of great ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/they-that-apply-themselves-to-trifling-matters-commonly-become/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [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/) > [We confess to little faults only to persuade ourselves we have no great ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-confess-to-little-faults-only-to-persuade-ourselves-we-have-no/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 high a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/as-the-great-ones-of-this-world-are-unable-to-bestow-health-of-body/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## 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 Acknowledge quotes > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. 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Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [As objects of contemplation, images of the atrocious can answer to several different needs. To steel oneself against weakness. 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