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Those who most obstinately oppose the most widely-held opinions more often do so because of pride than lack of intelligence. They find the best places in the right set already taken, and they do not want back seats.

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
Taken
Opinions
Often
Held
Back
Lack
Best
Intelligence
Find
Places
Obstinately
Right
Pride
Widely
Already
Oppose
Opinion
Seats

More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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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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Few things are impossible in themselves: application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means.
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Men would not live in society long if they were not each others dupes.
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It is often laziness and timidity that keep us within our duty while virtue gets all the credit.
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Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.
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The greater part of mankind judge of men only by their fashionableness or their fortune.
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The intellect is always fooled by the heart.
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The trust that we put in ourselves makes us feel trust in others.
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The passions possess a certain injustice and self interest which makes it dangerous to follow them, and in reality we should distrust them even when they appear most trustworthy.
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The old begin to complain of the conduct of the young when they themselves are no longer able to set a bad example.
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One man may be more cunning than another, but no one can be more cunning than all the world.
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To establish ourselves in the world, we have to do all we can to appear established. To succeed in the world, we do everything we can to appear successful.
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The vices enter into the composition of the virtues, as poisons into that of medicines. Prudence collects and arranges them, and uses them beneficially against the ills of life.
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Extreme boredom provides its own antidote.
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We are always bored by the very people by whom it is vital not to be bored.
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What makes us so bitter against people who outwit us is that they think themselves cleverer than we are.
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Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended.
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All who know their own minds know not their own hearts.
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Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves nor take away from themselves.
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There is merit without rank, but there is no rank without some merit.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld