Share
×
Inspirational Quotes
Authors
Professions
Topics
Tags
Quote
The desire of appearing clever often prevents our becoming so.
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
Appearing
Clever
Becoming
Desire
Often
Pretension
Cleverness
Prevents
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Conceit causes more conversation than wit.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We make promises to the extent that we hope-and keep them to the extent that we fear.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Our merit gains us the esteem of the virtuous-our star that of the public.
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
Humility is often merely feigned submissiveness assumed in order to subject others, an artifice of pride which stoops to conquer, and although pride has a thousand ways of transforming itself it is never so well disguised and able to take people in as when masquerading as humility.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The prospect of being pleased tomorrow will never console me for the boredom of today.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The cunningest dissimulation is when a man pretends to be caught in the traps others set for him and a man is never so easily over-reached as when he is contriving to over-reach others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We confess to little faults only to persuade ourselves we have no great ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Some people are so extremely whiffling and inconsiderable that they are as far from any real faults as from substantial virtues.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Repentance is not so much remorse for what we have done as the fear of the consequences.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is most difficult to speak when we are ashamed of being silent.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We always love those who admire us, but we do not always love those whom we admire.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Most people judge men by their success or their good fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Sincerity is a certain openness of heart. It is to be found in very few, and what we commonly look upon to be so is only a cunningsort of dissimulation, to insinuate ourselves into the confidence of others.
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
Jealousy is not so much the love of another as the love of ourselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Ridicule dishonours more than dishonour.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Very few people are acquainted with death. They undergo it, commonly, not so much out of resolution as custom and insensitivity and most men die because they cannot help it.
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
Passions often produce their contraries: avarice sometimes leads to prodigality, and prodigality to avarice we are often obstinate through weakness and daring through timidity.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
