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As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so small wits seem to have the gift of speaking much and saying nothing.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Age: 66 †
Born: 1613
Born: September 15
Died: 1680
Died: March 17
Memoirist
Military Personnel
Writer
Paris
France
François VI
Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Prince de Marcillac
François
Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Seems
Characteristics
Nothing
Speaking
Great
Gift
Much
Seem
Saying
Wisdom
Wits
Small
Characteristic
Words
Wit

More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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Avarice misapprehends itself almost always. There is no passion which more often will miss its aim, nor upon which the present has so much influence to the prejudice of the future.
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A man would rather say evil of himself than say nothing.
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It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.
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It is no tragedy to do ungrateful people favors, but it is unbearable to be indebted to a scoundrel.
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It is a great act of cleverness to be able to conceal one's being clever.
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One honor won is a surety for more.
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Whatever pretended causes we may blame our afflictions upon, it is often nothing but self-interest and vanity that produce them.
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No accidents are so unlucky [bad] but that the wise may draw some advantage [good] from them.
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The art of using moderate abilities to advantage often brings greater results than actual brilliance
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Our desires always disappoint us for though we meet with something that gives us satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers our expectation. [However disappointment can always be removed if we remember it could have turned out worse.]
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Fortune turns all things to the advantage of those on whom she smiles.
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Penetration has an air of divination it pleases our vanity more than any other quality of the mind.
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The more one loves a mistress, the more one is ready to hate her.
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Our actions are like blank rhymes, to which everyone applies what sense he pleases.
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We should desire very few things passionately if we did but perfectly know the nature of the things we desire.
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There are certain defects which, well-mounted, glitter like virtue itself.
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A man's happiness or unhappiness depends as much on his temperament as on his destiny.
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Nothing prevents one from appearing natural as the desire to appear natural.
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Sincerity is an openness of heart we find it in very few people what we usually see is only an artful dissimulation to win the confidence of others.
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Fancy sets the value on the gifts of fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld