--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perfect courage is to do without…" description: "\"Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witness_1793091.png" --- # Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would… ![“Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witness_1793091.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witness_1793091.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witness_1793091.png) > “Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.” [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. Acting bravely in private reveals true courage, not the desire for applause. **In simple terms:** True courage is private, not for show. Key Takeaway Practice integrity even when unseen. Themes courage integrity authenticity Mood reflective serious Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - personal decisions - leadership challenges - ethical dilemmas - private conflicts Key Concepts Stoicism virtue ethics Questions to Reflect On - How would you act if no one ever knew? - What values guide your unseen deeds? A Different Perspective Without external validation, fear of judgment may still inhibit action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Witnesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witnesses/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/everyday-courage-has-few-witnesses-but-yours-is-no-less-noble-because/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [Perfect valour consists in doing without witnesses that which we would be capable of doing before everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-valour-consists-in-doing-without-witnesses-that-which-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perfect courage and utter cowardice are two extremes which rarely occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-courage-and-utter-cowardice-are-two-extremes-which-rarely/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perfect courage means doing unwitnessed what we would be capable of with the world looking on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-courage-means-doing-unwitnessed-what-we-would-be-capable-of/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [True bravery means doing alone that which one could do if all the world were by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/true-bravery-means-doing-alone-that-which-one-could-do-if-all-the/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [What you think, I'm doing this for me, so f--- the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/what-you-think-i-m-doing-this-for-me-so-f-the-world/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [Dear famous people, When you say you're doing a world tour, please remember that my country is on the map of the world too..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/dear-famous-people-when-you-say-you-re-doing-a-world-tour-please/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“nothing is worth doing except what the world says is impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/nothing-is-worth-doing-except-what-the-world-says-is-impossible/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/most-of-the-things-worth-doing-in-the-world-had-been-declared/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [At the end of the day the question comes, what are you doing for the world? You have to try to do something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/at-the-end-of-the-day-the-question-comes-what-are-you-doing-for-the/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [When you win the Worlds, everyone expects a little bit more which is fair enough, but just the first crack of a whole year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-cross/when-you-win-the-worlds-everyone-expects-a-little-bit-more-which-is/) [Rob Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-cross/) > [I'm always looking for the next major hurdle and doing something that the world has never seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nik-wallenda/i-m-always-looking-for-the-next-major-hurdle-and-doing-something-that/) [Nik Wallenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nik-wallenda/) > [It's all right if things don't change today. We're gonna keep doing what we do. The world can either catch up or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-ray/it-s-all-right-if-things-don-t-change-today-we-re-gonna-keep-doing/) [Amy Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-ray/) > [Anything worth doing in this world is incredibly difficult to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/anything-worth-doing-in-this-world-is-incredibly-difficult-to-do/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [Sometimes audiences want to see what we're doing to their world. It's our obligation sometimes to reflect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-sheridan/sometimes-audiences-want-to-see-what-we-re-doing-to-their-world-it-s/) [Taylor Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-sheridan/) ## 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 Capable quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [Everybody is different. Some writers can write reams of great books and then J. D. Salinger wrote just a few. Beethoven wrote nine symphonies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/everybody-is-different-some-writers-can-write-reams-of-great-books/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“If you not yet try How to know you can or not?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sopharat/if-you-not-yet-try-how-to-know-you-can-or-not/) Sopharat > [I'm attracted to the garden, without a doubt, but I always try and image the wolf that's there, too. And that wolf would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-m-attracted-to-the-garden-without-a-doubt-but-i-always-try-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [How difficult the task to quench the fire and the pride of private ambition, and to sacrifice ourselves and all our hopes and expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/how-difficult-the-task-to-quench-the-fire-and-the-pride-of-private/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) Browse all 3,861 Capable quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witnesses-what-one-would-be-capable/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witnesses-what-one-would-be-capable/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witness_1793091.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witness_1793091.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witness_1793091.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.” — 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": "Perfect courage is to do without...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witnesses-what-one-would-be-capable/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-courage-is-to-do-without-witnesses-what-one-would-be-capable/#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 } } ] } ```