---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most ingenious men continually…"
description: "\"The most ingenious men continually pretend to condemn tricking--but this is often done that they may use it more conveniently themselves, when some gre..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_deception_the-most-ingenious-men-continually-prete_1855228.png"
---

#  The most ingenious men continually pretend to condemn…

![“The most ingenious men continually pretend to condemn tricking--but this is often done that they may use it more conveniently themselves, when some great occasion or interest offers itself to them.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_deception_the-most-ingenious-men-continually-prete_1855228.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_deception_the-most-ingenious-men-continually-prete_1855228.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_deception_the-most-ingenious-men-continually-prete_1855228.png)

> “The most ingenious men continually pretend to condemn tricking--but this is often done that they may use it more conveniently themselves, when some great occasion or interest offers itself to them.”

[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.

People often publicly denounce deceit while secretly exploiting it when it benefits them.

**In simple terms:** Public condemnation hides private use of trickery.

Key Takeaway

Watch for hypocrisy in moral judgments.

Themes

hypocrisy power ethics

Mood

cautious critical

Type

aphilosophical observational

When to use this quote

- political negotiations
- business deals
- legal strategy
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

Moral psychology self-interest

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you seen someone condemn what they later practice?
- What motivates this double standard?

A Different Perspective

Such behavior can erode trust and credibility.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Condemn Tricking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condemn-tricking-2461940/) [Continually Pretend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continually-pretend-2461941/) [Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Ingenious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenious/) [Ingenious Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenious-men-2002844/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Offers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offers/) [Trickery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trickery/) [Tricking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricking/) [Tricking Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricking-use-2461939/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/)

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> [Fake smile, Fake Joy, Tricking people became so easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-laura/fake-smile-fake-joy-tricking-people-became-so-easy/)

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> [If you use a trick in logic, whom can you be tricking other than yourself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/if-you-use-a-trick-in-logic-whom-can-you-be-tricking-other-than/)

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> [“It was all in the means of expressing himself without anyone having to ever understand it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lola/it-was-all-in-the-means-of-expressing-himself-without-anyone-having/)

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> [I do think deception... There's something kind of odd about tricking people for a living, but ultimately, it's a remarkably honest profession, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-do-think-deception-there-s-something-kind-of-odd-about-tricking/)

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[Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/)

## 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/)

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