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The desire of appearing clever often prevents our becoming so.
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
Cleverness
Prevents
Appearing
Clever
Becoming
Desire
Often
Pretension
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
In all professions each affects a look and an exterior to appear what he wishes the world to believe that he is. Thus we may say that the whole world is made up of appearances.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Things often offer themselves to our mind in a more finished form in the very first thought, than we might have made them by muchart and study.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are few people more convinced of their own genius than those who complain of how stupid they are.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Good taste comes more from the judgment than from the mind.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Moderation resembles temperance. We are not so unwilling to eat more, as afraid of doing ourselves harm by it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The constancy of the wise is only the talent of concealing the agitation of their hearts.
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
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
Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Conceit causes more conversation than wit.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is not enough to have great qualities We should also have the management of them.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are certain people fated to be fools they not only commit follies by choice, but are even constrained to do so by fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Moderation is a fear of falling into that envy and contempt which those who grow giddy with their good fortune quite justly draw upon themselves. It is a vain boasting of the greatness of our mind.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
What is called generosity is usually only the vanity of giving we enjoy the vanity more than the thing given.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We always get bored with those whom we bore.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Tricks and treachery are merely proofs of lack of skill.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Solemnity is a device of the body to hide the faults of the mind.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The most clever and polite are content with only seeming attentive while we perceive in their mind and eyes that at the very time they are wandering from what is said and desire to return to what they want to say.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We are much harder on people who betray us in small ways than on people who betray others in great ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We acknowledge our faults in order to repair by our sincerity the damage they have done us in the eyes of others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
