Pride, which inspires us with so much envy, is sometimes of use toward the moderating of it too. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Timidity is a fault for which it is dangerous to reprove persons whom we wish to correct of it. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We promise in proportion to our hopes, and we deliver in proportion to our fears. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The accent of one’s birthplace remains in the mind and in the heart as in one’s speech. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Our concern for the loss of our friends is not always from a sense of their worth, but rather of our own need of them and that we have lost some who had a good opinion of us. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
When a man is in love, he doubts, very often, what he most firmly believes. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Repentance is not so much remorse for what we have done as the fear of the consequences. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
People’s personalities, like buildings, have various facades, some pleasant to view, some not. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
When we disclaim praise, it is only showing our desire to be praised a second time. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are very few people who are not ashamed of having been in love when they no longer love each other. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
That good disposition which boasts of being most tender is often stifled by the least urging of self-interest. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail to succeed. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We are more interested in making others believe we are happy than in trying to be happy ourselves. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Those who are incapable of committing great crimes do not readily suspect them in others. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Old people love to give good advice; it compensates them for their inability to set a bad example. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person? – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Great souls are not those who have fewer passions and more virtues than others, but only those who have greater designs. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld