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We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.
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
Speak
Would
Egotism
Ill
Talk
Rather
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.
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There is nothing men are so generous of as advice.
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Whatever pretext we may give for our affections, often it is only interest and vanity which cause them.
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Only the great can afford to have great defects.
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A man's wits are better employed in bearing up under the misfortunes that lie upon him at present than in foreseeing those that may come upon him hereafter.
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The happiness and unhappiness of men depends as much on their ethics as on fortune.
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In the misfortunes of our best friends we always find something not altogether displeasing to us.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in change, as from the distaste we feel in being too little admired by those that know us too well, and the hope of being more admired by those that know us less.
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The breeding we give young people is ordinarily but an additional self-love, by which we make them have a better opinion of themselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We take less pains to be happy, than to appear so.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Our temper sets a price upon every gift that we receive from fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Men are not only prone to forget benefits they even hate those who have obliged them, and cease to hate those who have injured them. The necessity of revenging an injury, or of recompensing a benefit seems a slavery to which they are unwilling to submit.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
He who refuses praise the first time that it is offered does so because he would hear it a second time.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Nothing is more contagious than example, and no man does any exceeding good or exceeding ill but it spawns new deeds of the same kind. The good we imitate through emulation, the ill through the malignity of our nature, which shame keeps locked up, but example sets free.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We only acknowledge small faults in order to make it appear that we are free from great ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are but very few men clever enough to know all the mischief they do.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
A lofty mind always thinks nobly, it easily creates vivid, agreeable, and natural fancies, places them in their best light, clothes them with all appropriate adornments, studies others' tastes, and clears away from its own thoughts all that is useless and disagreeable.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Listening well and answering well is one of the greatest perfections that can be obtained in conversation.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
People are often vain of their passions, even of the worst, but envy is a passion so timid and shame-faced that no one ever dare avow her.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Hope and fear are inseparable.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
