--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hypocrisy is an homage that vice renders…" description: "\"Hypocrisy is an homage that vice renders to virtue.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders_2212894.png" --- # Hypocrisy is an homage that vice renders to virtue. ![“Hypocrisy is an homage that vice renders to virtue.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders_2212894.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders_2212894.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders_2212894.png) > “Hypocrisy is an homage that vice renders to virtue.” [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. Vice imitates virtue, turning moral pretense into a false tribute, exposing hypocrisy. **In simple terms:** Vice pretends to honor virtue, showing hypocrisy. Key Takeaway Beware of false praise that masks vice. Themes morality hypocrisy virtue deception Mood critical analytical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political discourse - personal relationships - public statements Key Concepts ethical pretense moral imitation social critique Questions to Reflect On - What virtues do you truly value? - How can you discern genuine praise from ulterior motives? A Different Perspective Not all flattery is sincere; motives may be self‑serving. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Homage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homage/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Vice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/hypocrisy-is-the-homage-vice-pays-to-virtue/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Hypocrisy is the homage which vice pays to virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/hypocrisy-is-the-homage-which-vice-pays-to-virtue/) [François De La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Hypocrisy is the homage that vice and wrong pay to virtue and justice .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/hypocrisy-is-the-homage-that-vice-and-wrong-pay-to-virtue-and-justice/) [Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/) > [“Hypocrisy a homage is true, That vice pays to virtue, Be man - himself so true, That no false does he brew.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munindra-misra/hypocrisy-a-homage-is-true-that-vice-pays-to-virtue-be-man-himself-so/) [Munindra Misra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munindra-misra/) > [“Hypocrisy is a sort of homage that vice pays to virtue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/hypocrisy-is-a-sort-of-homage-that-vice-pays-to-virtue/) Various > [“Hypocrisy is said to be the homage that vice pays to virtue,—decorum is the outward expression of that homage; and if this be so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-robert-maturin/hypocrisy-is-said-to-be-the-homage-that-vice-pays-to-virtue-decorum/) [Charles Robert Maturin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-robert-maturin/) > [The hate of favourites is only a love of favour. The envy of NOT possessing it, consoles and softens its regrets by the contempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-hate-of-favourites-is-only-a-love-of-favour-the-envy-of-not/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/hypocrisy-is-the-tribute-that-vice-pays-to-virtue/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [When you hear men talking," said Cornelia, "all they ever do is speak ill of women. ... And I don't quite know how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moderata-fonte/when-you-hear-men-talking-said-cornelia-all-they-ever-do-is-speak-ill/) [Moderata Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moderata-fonte/) > [“Feeling important is a vice, not a virtue, however concealed as participation in something noble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/feeling-important-is-a-vice-not-a-virtue-however-concealed-as/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [More people are flattered into virtue than bullied out of vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith-surtees/more-people-are-flattered-into-virtue-than-bullied-out-of-vice/) [Robert Smith Surtees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith-surtees/) > [“If she knew me as I really am she would despise me, and certainly not aid or abet my evil designs. To veil their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beckford/if-she-knew-me-as-i-really-am-she-would-despise-me-and-certainly-not/) [William Beckford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beckford/) > [Weakness is more opposed to virtue than is vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/weakness-is-more-opposed-to-virtue-than-is-vice/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [What often prevents our abandoning ourselves to a single vice is, our having more than one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/what-often-prevents-our-abandoning-ourselves-to-a-single-vice-is-our/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [I love my man as my fellow; but his scepter, real, or usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an individual demands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/i-love-my-man-as-my-fellow-but-his-scepter-real-or-usurped-extends/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) ## 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 Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hypocrisy is an homage that vice renders to virtue.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders-to-virtue/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders-to-virtue/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders_2212894.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders_2212894.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders_2212894.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Hypocrisy is an homage that vice renders to virtue.” — 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": "Hypocrisy is an homage that vice...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders-to-virtue/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/hypocrisy-is-an-homage-that-vice-renders-to-virtue/#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 } } ] } ```