--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes we think we dislike flattery…" description: "\"Sometimes we think we dislike flattery, but it is only the way it is done that we dislike.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_dislike_sometimes-we-think-we-dislike-flattery-b_2419589.png" --- # Sometimes we think we dislike flattery, but it is only the… ![“Sometimes we think we dislike flattery, but it is only the way it is done that we dislike.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_dislike_sometimes-we-think-we-dislike-flattery-b_2419589.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_dislike_sometimes-we-think-we-dislike-flattery-b_2419589.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_dislike_sometimes-we-think-we-dislike-flattery-b_2419589.png) > “Sometimes we think we dislike flattery, but it is only the way it is done that we dislike.” [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. We dislike flattery because of its insincerity, not the praise itself. **In simple terms:** Flattery is disliked for its delivery. Key Takeaway Seek sincere communication. Themes social dynamics ego communication Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary observational When to use this quote - workplace feedback - personal relationships - public speaking Key Concepts authenticity psychology Questions to Reflect On - What makes flattery feel genuine? - How can you give honest compliments? A Different Perspective Sincere praise can be hard to give. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dislike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dislike/) [Dislike Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dislike-flattery-4042662/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Flattery Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery-way-6118924/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Think Dislike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-dislike-2014600/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Adroit observers will find that some who affect to dislike flattery, may yet be flattered indirectly, by a well seasoned abuse and ridicule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/adroit-observers-will-find-that-some-who-affect-to-dislike-flattery/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [I've noticed that, with many of the authors I like, I tend to think I would dislike them as human beings or that there'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marling/i-ve-noticed-that-with-many-of-the-authors-i-like-i-tend-to-think-i/) [Laura Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marling/) > [I think I dislike what I don't like more than I like what I like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/i-think-i-dislike-what-i-don-t-like-more-than-i-like-what-i-like/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Flattery is a kind of bad money, to which our vanity gives us currency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/flattery-is-a-kind-of-bad-money-to-which-our-vanity-gives-us-currency/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We sometimes imagine we hate flattery, but we only hate the way we are flattered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-sometimes-imagine-we-hate-flattery-but-we-only-hate-the-way-we-are/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Flattery is false money, which would not be current were it not for our vanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/flattery-is-false-money-which-would-not-be-current-were-it-not-for/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are not fond of praising, and never praise any one except from interested motives. Praise is a clever, concealed, and delicate flattery, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-not-fond-of-praising-and-never-praise-any-one-except-from/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We sometimes think that we hate flattery, but we only hate the manner in which it is done. \[Fr., On croit quelquefoir hair la…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-sometimes-think-that-we-hate-flattery-but-we-only-hate-the-manner/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Flattery is a base coin which is current only through our vanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/flattery-is-a-base-coin-which-is-current-only-through-our-vanity/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself without pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-of-another-is-merely-empty-flattery-and-self-deception-for-one/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [The most skillful flattery is to let a person talk on, and be a listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/the-most-skillful-flattery-is-to-let-a-person-talk-on-and-be-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you. I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into that wall over there. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paperboi/i-m-not-drunk-i-m-just-intoxicated-by-you-i-was-so-enchanted-by-your/) [Paperboi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paperboi/) > [By God, I cannot flatter, I do defy The tongues of soothers! but a braver place In my heart's love hath no man than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/by-god-i-cannot-flatter-i-do-defy-the-tongues-of-soothers-but-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) ## 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 Dislike quotes > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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