Men Quote by Jean de la Bruyere
“Men blush less for their crimes than for their weaknesses and vanity.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Les Caractères, 1688
People feel more shame for personal flaws than for actual wrongdoing, revealing a tendency to hide inner insecurities behind moral judgment.
In simple terms: Weaknesses cause more embarrassment than crimes.
Key Takeaway
Address personal flaws openly.
Themes
humility
self-awareness
social perception
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- leadership
- conflict resolution
- public speaking
Key Concepts
psychology
ego
morality
Questions to Reflect On
- How do your insecurities affect your behavior?
- Why do we judge others' flaws more harshly than their actions?
A Different Perspective
People may still deny their weaknesses despite this insight.
![“Men blush less for their crimes than for their weaknesses and vanity. [Fr., Les hommes rougissent moins de leur crimes que de leurs faiblesses et de leur vanite.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_crime_men-blush-less-for-their-crimes-than-for_2791653.jpg)
![“The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. [Fr., La cour est comme un edifice bati de marbre; je veux dire qu'elle est composee d'hommes fort durs mais fort polis.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fcf/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_built_the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marb_77288.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)