Francois De La Rochefoucauld
136 quotations
Not all those who know their minds know their hearts as well.
The mind is always the patsy of the heart.
Moderation in people who are contented comes from that calm that good fortune lends to their spirit.
Moderation is an ostentatious proof of our strength of character.
The height of cleverness is being able to conceal it.
We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears.
We think very few people sensible, except those who are of our opinion.
We credit scarcely any persons with good sense except those who are of our opinion.
Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever.
If we resist our passions, it is more through their weakness than from our strength.
The passions are the only orators which always persuade.
When a man finds no peace within himself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.
Those who occupy their minds with small matters, generally become incapable of greatness.
The accent of one's birthplace remains in the mind and in the heart as in one's speech.
A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice.
When we disclaim praise, it is only showing our desire to be praised a second time.
Pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.
It is easier to appear worthy of a position one does not hold, than of the office which one fills.
The intellect is always fooled by the heart.
We are never so ridiculous by the qualities we have, as by those we affect to have.
Our actions are like the terminations of verses, which we rhyme as we please.
Honest people will respect us for our merit: the public, for our luck.
How can we accept another to keep our secret if we have been unable to keep it ourselves.
The confidence which we have in ourselves gives birth to much of that which we have in others.
Lovers never get tired of each other because they are forever talking about themselves.