--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is much easier to extinguish a first…" description: "\"“It is much easier to extinguish a first desire than to satisfy all of those that follow it.”\" — La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/la-rochefoucauld-34349_desire_it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first_766525.jpg" --- # It is much easier to extinguish a first desire than to… ![“It is much easier to extinguish a first desire than to satisfy all of those that follow it.” quote by La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/la-rochefoucauld-34349_desire_it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first_766525.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/la-rochefoucauld-34349_desire_it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first_766525.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/la-rochefoucauld-34349_desire_it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first_766525.jpg) > ““It is much easier to extinguish a first desire than to satisfy all of those that follow it.”” [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. Human desires multiply; satisfying one often creates new cravings, making restraint harder than initial denial. **In simple terms:** Desires breed more desires, making it hard to stay satisfied. Key Takeaway Focus on moderation, not just initial denial. Themes self\_control desire human\_nature Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal finance - relationship management - habit formation - goal setting Key Concepts Stoicism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you prevent new cravings after a denial? - What strategies keep you from swapping one desire for another? A Different Perspective Even after denying a desire, new wants may arise, challenging long‑term discipline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Satisfy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-satisfy-819171/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Easier Extinguish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier-extinguish-5934615/) [Extinguish Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinguish-desire-2906613/) ## Related quotes > [“Extinguish desire and suffering goes with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hoover/extinguish-desire-and-suffering-goes-with-it/) [Thomas Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hoover/) > [Often the best way to overcome desire is to satisfy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/often-the-best-way-to-overcome-desire-is-to-satisfy-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is much easier to suppress a first desire than to satisfy those that follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/it-is-much-easier-to-suppress-a-first-desire-than-to-satisfy-those/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“The knowledge that you desired other men was in you. The only thing you needed to be taught was how to unlock that desire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-chambers/the-knowledge-that-you-desired-other-men-was-in-you-the-only-thing/) [Joanna Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-chambers/) > [Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more saucy. When you have bought one fine thing, you must buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/pride-is-as-loud-a-beggar-as-want-and-a-great-deal-more-saucy-when/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/tis-easier-to-suppress-the-first-desire-than-to-satisfy-all-that/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [When there is no desire to satisfy yourself, there is no aggression or speed... Because there is no rush to achieve, you can afford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/when-there-is-no-desire-to-satisfy-yourself-there-is-no-aggression-or/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [It's funny, everything is so much easier when you do it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-funny-everything-is-so-much-easier-when-you-do-it-yourself/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. 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Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) ## More by La Rochefoucauld > [“All passions make us commit faults, but love makes us commit the most ridiculous ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/all-passions-make-us-commit-faults-but-love-makes-us-commit-the-most/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) > [True love is like seeing ghosts; we all talk about it, but few of us have ever seen one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/true-love-is-like-seeing-ghosts-we-all-talk-about-it-but-few-of-us/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) > [“It is a kind of happiness to know just how unhappy we could be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/it-is-a-kind-of-happiness-to-know-just-how-unhappy-we-could-be/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) > [“It is with true love as with ghosts and apparitions: Every one talks of it, and scarcely any one has seen it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/it-is-with-true-love-as-with-ghosts-and-apparitions-every-one-talks/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) > [“When not prompted by vanity, we say little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/when-not-prompted-by-vanity-we-say-little/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) > [“He who lives without folly is not as wise as he may think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/he-who-lives-without-folly-is-not-as-wise-as-he-may-think/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) > [“The confidence which we have in ourselves gives birth to much of that which we have in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/the-confidence-which-we-have-in-ourselves-gives-birth-to-much-of-that/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) > [“There is a kind of greatness which does not depend upon fortune;It is a certain manner that distinguishes us, and which seems to destine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/there-is-a-kind-of-greatness-which-does-not-depend-upon-fortune-it-is/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 9 La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is much easier to extinguish a first desire than to satisfy all of those that follow it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first-desire-than-to-satisfy-all-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first-desire-than-to-satisfy-all-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/la-rochefoucauld-34349_desire_it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first_766525.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/la-rochefoucauld-34349_desire_it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first_766525.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/la-rochefoucauld-34349_desire_it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first_766525.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is much easier to extinguish a first desire than to satisfy all of those that follow it.” — 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": "La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is much easier to extinguish...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first-desire-than-to-satisfy-all-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/it-is-much-easier-to-extinguish-a-first-desire-than-to-satisfy-all-of/#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 } } ] } ```