---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are crimes which become innocent…"
description: "\"There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious through their splendor, number and excess.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_crime_there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-a_282117.png"
---

#  There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious…

![“There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious through their splendor, number and excess.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_crime_there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-a_282117.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_crime_there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-a_282117.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_crime_there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-a_282117.png)

> “There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious through their splendor, number and excess.”

[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.

He suggests that excessive, spectacular crimes can be reinterpreted as noble or admirable.

**In simple terms:** Great crimes can look noble when they are grand.

Key Takeaway

Question the allure of grandeur in wrongdoing.

Themes

power glory morality excess perception

Mood

critical reflective

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- political scandals
- celebrity misconduct
- war crimes
- financial fraud

Key Concepts

ethical relativism social perception celebration of excess

Questions to Reflect On

- How does spectacle change our moral judgment?
- When does glorification become dangerous?

A Different Perspective

The claim may romanticize harmful actions, ignoring victims.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Crimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crimes/) [Crimes Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crimes-innocent-2732469/) [Excess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excess/) [Glorious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorious/) [Glorious Splendor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorious-splendor-1889732/) [Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent/) [Innocent Glorious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-glorious-2732470/) [Splendor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendor/)

## Related quotes

> [How glorious the splendor of a human heart that trusts that it is loved!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/how-glorious-the-splendor-of-a-human-heart-that-trusts-that-it-is/)

[Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/)

> [We easily forget crimes that are known to none but ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-easily-forget-crimes-that-are-known-to-none-but-ourselves/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [There is an excess both in happiness and misery above our power of sensation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-is-an-excess-both-in-happiness-and-misery-above-our-power-of/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [It is the greatest of crimes to depress true art and science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/it-is-the-greatest-of-crimes-to-depress-true-art-and-science/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [The greatest crimes are to associate another with God, to vex your father and mother, to murder your own species, to commit suicide, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad/the-greatest-crimes-are-to-associate-another-with-god-to-vex-your/)

[Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad/)

> [“Any profession you engage in, no matter how profitable, unless it is truly helpful and good for others, is a crime against your soul,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/any-profession-you-engage-in-no-matter-how-profitable-unless-it-is/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/formerly-we-suffered-from-crimes-now-we-suffer-from-laws/)

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

> [Crimes against women are growing day by day. Despite this, the mindset of our leaders, politicians, or judicial system is not changing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raveena-tandon/crimes-against-women-are-growing-day-by-day-despite-this-the-mindset/)

[Raveena Tandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raveena-tandon/)

> [Heinous crimes are not new to our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-mishra/heinous-crimes-are-not-new-to-our-society/)

[Sanjay Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-mishra/)

> [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/)

[Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/)

> [High testosterone levels have been proven to make men more likely to commit crimes. The tendency in men toward risky behaviour keeps turning up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/high-testosterone-levels-have-been-proven-to-make-men-more-likely-to/)

[Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/)

> [I stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'among the most unspeakable crimes in history.' I took no position on just where they stand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-stated-that-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-are-among-the-most-unspeakable/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/)

[Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/)

> [Among our crimes oblivion may be set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/among-our-crimes-oblivion-may-be-set/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/)

[Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/)

## 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 Crime quotes

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/)

[Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/)

[Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/)

> [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/)

[Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/)

> [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/)

[Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/)

> [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/)

[Avis Bohlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avis-bohlen/)

[Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious through their splendor, number and excess.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-and-even-glorious-through/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crime"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-and-even-glorious-through/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_crime_there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-a_282117.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_crime_there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-a_282117.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_crime_there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-a_282117.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious through their splendor, number and excess.” — 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": "There are crimes which become innocent...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-and-even-glorious-through/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-crimes-which-become-innocent-and-even-glorious-through/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
