--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truth has scarce done so much good in the…" description: "\"Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_appearance_truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-th_2633018.png" --- # Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the… ![“Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_appearance_truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-th_2633018.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_appearance_truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-th_2633018.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_appearance_truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-th_2633018.png) > “Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.” [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. False appearances cause more harm than truth itself. **In simple terms:** False appearances hurt more. Key Takeaway Question appearances critically. Themes truth deception appearance Mood skeptical critical Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - political rhetoric - media reporting - personal interactions - advertising Key Concepts philosophy morality Questions to Reflect On - When have appearances misled you? - How can truth be made compelling? A Different Perspective Truth can be ignored or dismissed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) [Appearances Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearances-hurt-2206077/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [False appearances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-appearances-60993/) [Good in the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-in-the-world/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Scarce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarce/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Scarce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-scarce-2206076/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World False](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-false-975061/) ## Related quotes > [Gravestones tell truth scarce forty years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/gravestones-tell-truth-scarce-forty-years/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Grave-stones tell truth scarce forty years. Generations pass while families last not three oaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/grave-stones-tell-truth-scarce-forty-years-generations-pass-while/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Truth does not do as much good in the world as its imitations do harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/truth-does-not-do-as-much-good-in-the-world-as-its-imitations-do-harm/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Truth does less good in the world than its appearances do harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/truth-does-less-good-in-the-world-than-its-appearances-do-harm/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [What men call knowledge, is the reasoned acceptance of false appearances. Wisdom looks behind the veil and sees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/what-men-call-knowledge-is-the-reasoned-acceptance-of-false/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Let us take a patriot, where we can meet him; and, that we may not flatter ourselves by false appearances, distinguish those marks which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/let-us-take-a-patriot-where-we-can-meet-him-and-that-we-may-not/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [ A mind that is charmed by false appearances refuses better things. \[Lat., Acclinis falsis animus meliora recusat.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/a-mind-that-is-charmed-by-false-appearances-refuses-better-things-lat/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [The world needs you. It doesn't need you at a party having read a book about how to appear smart at parties - these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/the-world-needs-you-it-doesn-t-need-you-at-a-party-having-read-a-book/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [There is none who does not lie hourly in the respect he pays to false appearance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-none-who-does-not-lie-hourly-in-the-respect-he-pays-to-false/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The two principles of truth, reason and senses, are not only both not genuine, but are engaged in mutual deception. The senses deceive reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-two-principles-of-truth-reason-and-senses-are-not-only-both-not/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“In a terrified world, false news was king.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-a-terrified-world-false-news-was-king/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“How can man become complete? From the world’s point of view, he will become Truth when he eliminates his false world and false self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/how-can-man-become-complete-from-the-world-s-point-of-view-he-will/) [Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/) > [I don't wish to inhabit the human world under false pretences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-frame/i-don-t-wish-to-inhabit-the-human-world-under-false-pretences/) [Janet Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-frame/) > [“No living being can ever “hitch” another living being. If one were able to “hitch” another, then we can say that the principle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/no-living-being-can-ever-hitch-another-living-being-if-one-were-able/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [I don't want to inhabit the human world under false pretenses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-frame/i-don-t-want-to-inhabit-the-human-world-under-false-pretenses/) [Janet Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-frame/) ## 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 Appearance quotes > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/) [Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/) > [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/) [Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [You can have a nice body, dress with the latest fashion. But if you don't have self-confidence sweetheart, forget about looking sexy, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/you-can-have-a-nice-body-dress-with-the-latest-fashion-but-if-you-don/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/) [David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/) > [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/every-man-would-fall-in-love-with-their-voice-their-lovely-appearance/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) [Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-the-world-as-the-false/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appearance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-the-world-as-the-false/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_appearance_truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-th_2633018.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_appearance_truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-th_2633018.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_appearance_truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-th_2633018.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.” — 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": "Truth has scarce done so much...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-the-world-as-the-false/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/truth-has-scarce-done-so-much-good-in-the-world-as-the-false/#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 } } ] } ```