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It is only persons of firmness that can have real gentleness. Those who appear gentle are, in general, only a weak character, which easily changes into asperity.

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
Determination
Easily
Changes
Weak
General
Firmness
Character
Gentleness
Persons
Gentle
Real
Appear

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Gallantry of mind consists in saying flattering things in an agreeable manner.
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Self-love makes our friends appear more or less deserving in proportion to the delight we take in them, and the measures by whichwe judge of their worth depend upon the manner of their conversing with us.
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What often prevents our abandoning ourselves to a single vice is, our having more than one.
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As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is that of little minds to use many words to say nothing.
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A man for whom accident discovers sense, is not a rational being. A man only is so who understands, who distinguishes, who tests it.
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The heart of man ever finds a constant succession of passions, so that the destroying and pulling down of one proves generally tobe nothing else but the production and the setting up of another.
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That conduct often seems ridiculous the secret reasons of which are wise and solid.
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When our hatred is too alive puts us below what we hate.
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Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting the envy and contempt which those merit who are intoxicated with their good fortune it is a vain display of our strength of mind, and in short the moderation of men at their greatest height is only a desire to appear greater than their fortune.
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When a man must force himself to be faithful in his love, this is hardly better than unfaithfulness.
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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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