--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's easier to know people in general…" description: "\"It's easier to know people in general than one person in particular\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_clever_it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-th_2836989.png" --- # It's easier to know people in general than one person in… ![“It's easier to know people in general than one person in particular” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_clever_it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-th_2836989.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_clever_it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-th_2836989.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_clever_it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-th_2836989.png) > “It's easier to know people in general than one person in particular” [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. It is easier to understand general human behavior than the intricacies of a single individual. **In simple terms:** General patterns are simpler than individual specifics. Key Takeaway Study broader trends before focusing on one person. Themes human nature generalization individuality psychology Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - research - counseling - leadership Key Concepts social theory personal insight Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance general knowledge with individual attention? - When is it essential to know a person deeply? A Different Perspective Overgeneralization can miss unique nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Easier Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier-know-1198900/) [General Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-person-3697488/) [Know People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-people/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-general-482532/) [Person Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-particular-3697489/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) ## Related quotes > [In general, of course, a stranger who tries to get you into an automobile is anything but noble, and in general a person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/in-general-of-course-a-stranger-who-tries-to-get-you-into-an/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [It is easier to know men in general, than men in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-easier-to-know-men-in-general-than-men-in-particular/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Our fashion is for everyone and, throughout the years, we have had the possibility of working with the world's most beautiful and charming women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domenico-dolce/our-fashion-is-for-everyone-and-throughout-the-years-we-have-had-the/) [Domenico Dolce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domenico-dolce/) > [I think that whoever is the attorney general, you don't want them to be as a yes person for any particular constituency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/i-think-that-whoever-is-the-attorney-general-you-don-t-want-them-to/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [You can be affected by a person because of something particular they said or did but sometimes how a person was, a manner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/you-can-be-affected-by-a-person-because-of-something-particular-they/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [The true person is Not anyone in particular; But like the deep blue color Of the limitless sky, It is everyone, Everywhere in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/the-true-person-is-not-anyone-in-particular-but-like-the-deep-blue/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [I have been meditating for 40 years. It makes it a bit easier to know who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/i-have-been-meditating-for-40-years-it-makes-it-a-bit-easier-to-know/) [Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/) > [“We're guys. Half the time, we don't know who we are. It helps things become a lot easier if we know who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyrae-dawn/we-re-guys-half-the-time-we-don-t-know-who-we-are-it-helps-things/) [Nyrae Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyrae-dawn/) > [Tell me why is it easier if you know the number one? You prepare as though you are number one anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green/tell-me-why-is-it-easier-if-you-know-the-number-one-you-prepare-as/) [Robert Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green/) > [It is easier to know your enemies than to know your friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/it-is-easier-to-know-your-enemies-than-to-know-your-friends/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [It's so much easier to know who you are when there aren't a thousand people telling you who they think you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/it-s-so-much-easier-to-know-who-you-are-when-there-aren-t-a-thousand/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [“It was easier not to know―at least for right now”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-messenger/it-was-easier-not-to-know-at-least-for-right-now/) [Shannon Messenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-messenger/) > [It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it. If you were asked to prove that two and two made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-was-easier-to-know-it-than-to-explain-why-i-know-it-if-you-were/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [It’s much easier not to know things sometimes. And to have french fries with your mom be enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-much-easier-not-to-know-things-sometimes-and-to-have-french/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [It’s much easier not to know things sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-much-easier-not-to-know-things-sometimes/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) ## 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 Clever quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“There was once an old but clever donkey, who never liked the sting of any bee, Nor for all the Slung mud, did he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/there-was-once-an-old-but-clever-donkey-who-never-liked-the-sting-of/) [Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/) > [ There was another reason \[she\] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-books-whenever-they-went-away/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [If she is stupid enough to let you go, you're clever enough not to look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-she-is-stupid-enough-to-let-you-go-you-re-clever-enough-not-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Need to go to the pharmacy, because I'm so sick!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-matthews/need-to-go-to-the-pharmacy-because-i-m-so-sick/) [Tasha Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasha-matthews/) > [My valour is certainly going! - it is sneaking off! - I feel it oozing out as it were at the palms of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/my-valour-is-certainly-going-it-is-sneaking-off-i-feel-it-oozing-out/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > ['I Love You' fails to sum up all the memories, smiles, laughs, trials, and tribulations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/i-love-you-fails-to-sum-up-all-the-memories-smiles-laughs-trials-and/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [People may say that what I do is very clever, but it's not really at all. It's not Swift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/people-may-say-that-what-i-do-is-very-clever-but-it-s-not-really-at/) [Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Regrets are like mistresses," he informed her. "I ..." Her hand dropped from the handle. "What?" "Good men don't have them." She blinked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-johnson/regrets-are-like-mistresses-he-informed-her-i-her-hand-dropped-from/) [Alissa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-johnson/) > [I love clever lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-hayes/i-love-clever-lyrics/) [Walker Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-hayes/) [Browse all 2,116 Clever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's easier to know people in general than one person in particular", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-than-one-person-in-particular/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clever" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-than-one-person-in-particular/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_clever_it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-th_2836989.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_clever_it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-th_2836989.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_clever_it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-th_2836989.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's easier to know people in general than one person in particular” — 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": "It's easier to know people in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-than-one-person-in-particular/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-s-easier-to-know-people-in-general-than-one-person-in-particular/#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 } } ] } ```