Share
×
Inspirational Quotes
Authors
Professions
Topics
Tags
Quote
To praise princes for virtues they do not possess is to insult them without fear of consequences.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Share
Change background
T
T
T
Change font
Original
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
Consequences
Consequence
Praise
Virtue
Princes
Fear
Parliament
Without
Virtues
Insult
Possess
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are two things which Man cannot look at directly without flinching: the sun and death.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Our enemies' opinion of us comes closer to the truth than our own.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Virtue would not make such advances if there were not a little vanity to keep it company.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
One should treat one's fate as one does one's health enjoy it when it is good, be patient with it when it is poor, and never attempt any drastic cure save as an ultimate resort.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Though men are apt to flatter and exalt themselves with their great achievements, yet these are, in truth, very often owing not so much to design as chance.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The great interests of man: air and light, the joy of having a body, the voluptuousness of looking.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is almost always a fault of one who loves not to realize when he ceases to be loved.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We should often feel ashamed of our best actions if the world could see all the motives which produced them.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
None deserve praise for being good who have not the spirit to be bad: goodness, for the most part, is nothing but indolence or weakness of will.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Most people judge men by their success or their good fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Affected simplicity is a subtle imposture.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Fortune turns all things to the advantage of those on whom she smiles.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Moderation is represented as a virtue in order to restrain the ambition of great men, and to console those of a meaner condition in their lesser merit and fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
To awaken a man who is deceived as to his own merit is to do him as bad a turn as that done to the Athenian madman who was happy in believing that all the ships touching at the port belonged to him.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Gratitude is like the good faith of traders: it maintains commerce, and we often pay, not because it is just to discharge our debts, but that we may more readily find people to trust us.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Hope, deceiving as it is, serves at least to lead us to the end of our lives by an agreeable route.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Great souls are not those who have fewer passions and more virtues than others, but only those who have greater designs.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
What renders other people's vanity insufferable is that it wounds our own.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Eloquence resides as much in the tone of voice, in the eyes, and in the expression of the face, as in the choice of words.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Few things are impossible in themselves: application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
