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The clemency of Princes is often but policy to win the affections of the people.
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
Policy
Winning
Often
People
Clemency
Princes
Affections
Affection
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We love much better those who endeavor to imitate us, than those who strive to equal us. For imitation is a sign of esteem, but competition of envy.
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It is worth nothing to be young without being beautiful, nor to be beautiful without being young.
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Hope, deceiving as it is, serves at least to lead us to the end of our lives by an agreeable route.
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The distempers of the soul have their relapses, as many and as dangerous as those of the body and what we take for a perfect cureis generally either an abatement of the same disease or the changing of that for another.
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We acknowledge our faults in order to repair by our sincerity the damage they have done us in the eyes of others.
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Considering how little the beginning or the ceasing to love is in our own power, it is foolish and unreasonable for the lover or his mistress to complain of one another's inconstancy.
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The sure mark of one born with noble qualities is being born without envy.
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Some people resemble ballads which are only sung for a certain time.
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We are better pleased to see those on whom we confer benefits than those from whom we receive them.
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Hope and fear are inseparable. There is no hope without fear, nor any fear without hope.
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Politeness is a desire to be treated politely, and to be esteemed polite oneself.
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A man may be sharper than another, but not than all others.
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We often in our misfortunes take that for constancy and patience which is only dejection of mind we suffer without daring to holdup our heads, just as cowards let themselves be knocked on the head because they have not courage to strike back.
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We are not fond of praising, and never praise any one except from interested motives. Praise is a clever, concealed, and delicate flattery, which gratifies in different ways the giver and the receiver. The one takes it as a recompense of his merit, and the other bestows it to display his equity and discernment.
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There is no accident so unfortunate but wise men will make some advantage of it, nor any so entirely fortunate but fools may turn it to their own prejudice.
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Though confidence is very fine, and makes the future sunny I want no confidence for mine, I'd rather have the money
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The passions of youth are not more dangerous to health than is the lukewarmness of old age.
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Treachery is more often the effect of weakness than of a formed design.
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The reason we do not let our friends see the very bottom of our hearts is not so much distrust of them as distrust of ourselves.
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Fortunate persons hardly ever amend their ways: they always imagine that they are in the right when fortune upholds their bad conduct.
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