---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Self-love is the greatest of all…"
description: "\"Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_flatterer_self-love-is-the-greatest-of-all-flatter_65436.png"
---

#  Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.

![“Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_flatterer_self-love-is-the-greatest-of-all-flatter_65436.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_flatterer_self-love-is-the-greatest-of-all-flatter_65436.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d37/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_flatterer_self-love-is-the-greatest-of-all-flatter_65436.png)

> “Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.”

[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.

Self-regard provides the most flattering affirmation, as it comes from within rather than external validation.

**In simple terms:** Self-love validates oneself.

Key Takeaway

Self-approval is the ultimate compliment.

Themes

self-esteem authenticity psychology philosophy

Mood

empowering reflective

Type

aphor maxim

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- overcoming criticism
- building confidence

Key Concepts

self-perception inner validation

Practical Applications

- self-help coaching
- mental health therapy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does self-love affect your interactions with others?
- What practices nurture genuine self-approval?

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[Flatterer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flatterer/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-love/)

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> [Avoid flatterers, for they are thieves in disguise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/avoid-flatterers-for-they-are-thieves-in-disguise/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [In the name of respecting the reality, keep the flatterers out of your life!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/in-the-name-of-respecting-the-reality-keep-the-flatterers-out-of-your/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [People who plead with you for favours May eventually prove to be great flatterers. Your friends are only those Who all the time cheerfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/people-who-plead-with-you-for-favours-may-eventually-prove-to-be/)

[Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/)

> [Not kings alone--the people, too, have their flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-de-riqueti-marquis-de-mirabeau/not-kings-alone-the-people-too-have-their-flatterers/)

[Victor de Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-de-riqueti-marquis-de-mirabeau/)

> [We seek our happiness outside ourselves, and in the opinion of men we know to be flatterers, insincere, unjust, full of envy, caprice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-seek-our-happiness-outside-ourselves-and-in-the-opinion-of-men-we/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [It is better to fall in with crows than with flatterers; for in the one case you are devoured when dead, in the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antisthenes/it-is-better-to-fall-in-with-crows-than-with-flatterers-for-in-the/)

[Antisthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antisthenes/)

> [Heroes, notwithstanding the high ideas which, by the means of flatterers, they may entertain of themselves, or the world may conceive of them, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/heroes-notwithstanding-the-high-ideas-which-by-the-means-of/)

[Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/)

> [The skilful class of flatterers praise the discourse of an ignorant friend and the face of a deformed one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/the-skilful-class-of-flatterers-praise-the-discourse-of-an-ignorant/)

[Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/)

> [Were there no fools, there would be no flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/were-there-no-fools-there-would-be-no-flatterers/)

[Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/)

> [ Flatterers are the worst kind of enemies. \[Lat., Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantes.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-enemies-lat-pessimum-genus/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

> [The art of flatterers is to take advantage of the foibles of the great, to foster their errors, and never to give advice which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-art-of-flatterers-is-to-take-advantage-of-the-foibles-of-the/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [Believe flatterers and you're lost; believe your enemies and you despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/believe-flatterers-and-you-re-lost-believe-your-enemies-and-you/)

[Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/)

> [The most detestable race of enemies are flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/the-most-detestable-race-of-enemies-are-flatterers/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

> [All flatterers are mercenary, and all low-minded men are flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-flatterers-are-mercenary-and-all-low-minded-men-are-flatterers/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

## 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/)

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[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/)

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> [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/)

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[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/)

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> [A flatterer is a friend who is your inferior, or pretends to be so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-flatterer-is-a-friend-who-is-your-inferior-or-pretends-to-be-so/)

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> [But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends-they-are-so-obsequious-and/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-traitors-for-they-will-strengthen/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [He that loves to be flattered is worthy o' the flatterer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-loves-to-be-flattered-is-worthy-o-the-flatterer/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst-them-chiefly-thyself/)

[Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/)

> [Persons who discover a flatterer, do not always disapprove him, because he imagines them considerable enough to deserve his applications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/persons-who-discover-a-flatterer-do-not-always-disapprove-him-because/)

[William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/)

> [Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/every-flatterer-lives-at-the-expense-of-him-who-listens-to-him/)

[Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/)

> [The most detestable race of enemies are flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/the-most-detestable-race-of-enemies-are-flatterers/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

> [Believe flatterers and you're lost; believe your enemies and you despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/believe-flatterers-and-you-re-lost-believe-your-enemies-and-you/)

[Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/)

> [There is no such flatterer as is a man's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-is-no-such-flatterer-as-is-a-man-s-self/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [The art of flatterers is to take advantage of the foibles of the great, to foster their errors, and never to give advice which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-art-of-flatterers-is-to-take-advantage-of-the-foibles-of-the/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [There is a principle of human affairs that goes back millennia, which is that you don't look in the mirror. You can trace this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-is-a-principle-of-human-affairs-that-goes-back-millennia-which/)

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> [Prophet just means intellectual. They were people giving geopolitical analysis, moral lessons, that sort of thing. We call them intellectuals today. There were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/prophet-just-means-intellectual-they-were-people-giving-geopolitical/)

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> [ Flatterers are the worst kind of enemies. \[Lat., Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantes.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-enemies-lat-pessimum-genus/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

[Browse all 98 Flatterer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flatterer/)

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