Quote

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

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

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

More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Image
Quarrels would not last long if the fault was only on one side.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
To be a great man it is necessary to turn to account all opportunities.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
As we grow older we grow both more foolish and wiser at the same time.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Self-love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Silence is the safest course for any man to adopt who distrust himself.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Satire is at once the most agreeable and most dangerous of mental qualities. It always pleases when it is refined, but we always fear those who use it too much yet satire should be allowed when unmixed with spite, and when the person satirized can join in the satire.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and sometimes renders the most foolish man clever.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
More men are guilty of treason through weakness than any studied design to betray.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Whatever good things people say of us, they tell us nothing new.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
A man often believes himself leader when he is led as his mind endeavors to reach one goal, his heart insensibly drags him towards another.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against life's ills.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
We are sometimes as different from ourselves as we are from others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Great and glorious events which dazzle the beholder are represented by politicians as the outcome of grand designs whereas they are usually products of temperaments and passions.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
Tricks and treachery are merely proofs of lack of skill.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
The passions do very often give birth to others of a nature most contrary to their own. Thus avarice sometimes brings forth prodigality, and prodigality avarice a man's resolution is very often the effect of levity, and his boldness that of cowardice and fear.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
We often credit ourselves with vices the reverse of what we have, thus when weak we boast of our obstinacy.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Image
What we take for virtue is often but an assemblage of various ambitions and activities that chance, or our own astuteness, have arranged in a certain manner and it is not always out of courage or purity that men are brave, and women chaste.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld