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Perfect valour consists in doing without witnesses that which we would be capable of doing before everyone.

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
Inspirational
Without
Valour
Would
Witnesses
Consists
Witness
Capable
Perfect
Everyone

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Humility is the worst form of conceit.
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The trust that we put in ourselves makes us feel trust in others.
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We often see malefactors, when they are led to execution, put on resolution and a contempt of death which, in truth, is nothing else but fearing to look it in the face--so that this pretended bravery may very truly be said to do the same good office to their mind that the blindfold does to their eyes.
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There is no accident so unfortunate but wise men will make some advantage of it, nor any so entirely fortunate but fools may turn it to their own prejudice.
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Generally speaking, we would make a good bargain by renouncing all the good that people say of us, upon condition they would say no ill.
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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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Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.
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We only acknowledge small faults in order to make it appear that we are free from great ones.
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Most men expose themselves in battle enough to save their honor, few wish to do so more than sufficiently, or than is necessary to make the design for which they expose themselves succeed.
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Passions often produce their contraries: avarice sometimes leads to prodigality, and prodigality to avarice we are often obstinate through weakness and daring through timidity.
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Those only are despicable who fear to be despised.
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Preserving health by too severe a rule is a worrisome malady.
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The qualities we have do not make us so ridiculous as those which we affect to have. [Fr., On n'est jamais si ridicule par les qualites que l'on a que par celles que l'on affecte d'avoir.]
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Old people are fond of giving good advice it consoles them for no longer being capable of setting a bad example.
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In the human heart there is a ceaseless birth of passions, so that the destruction of one is almost always the establishment of another.
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High fortune makes both our virtues and vices stand out as objects that are brought clearly to view by the light.
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Reconciliation with our enemies is simply a desire to better our condition, a weariness of war, or the fear of some unlucky thing from occurring.
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Great men should not have great faults.
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