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Were we perfectly acquainted with the object, we should never passionately desire it.
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
Acquainted
Passionately
Delusion
Perfectly
Object
Objects
Desire
Never
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
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.
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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.
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Self-love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world.
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Gallantry of mind consists in saying flattering things in an agreeable manner.
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As we grow older we grow both more foolish and wiser at the same time.
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As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is that of little minds to use many words to say nothing.
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Most men expose themselves in battle enough to save their honor, few wish to do so more than sufficiently, or than is necessary to make the design for which they expose themselves succeed.
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Silence is the safest course for any man to adopt who distrust himself.
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Constancy in love is a perpetual inconstancy which fixes our hearts successively to all the qualities of the person loved--sometimes admiring one and sometimes another above all the rest--so that this constancy roves as far as it can, and is no better than inconstancy, confined within the compass of one person.
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Gracefulness is to the body what understanding is to the mind.
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The applause we give those who are new to society often proceeds from a secret envying of those already established.
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Virtues lose themselves in self-interest, as rivers in the sea.
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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.
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To be a great man it is necessary to turn to account all opportunities.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The vices enter into the composition of the virtues, as poisons into that of medicines. Prudence collects and arranges them, and uses them beneficially against the ills of life.
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Not to love is in love an infallible means of being loved.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Whatever ignominy or disgrace we have incurred, it is almost always in our power to reestablish our reputation.
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Weak people cannot be sincere.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Too great haste to repay an obligation is a kind of ingratitude.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Humility is the sure evidence of Christian virtues. Without it, we retain all our faults still, and they are only covered over with pride, which hides them from other men's observation, and sometimes from our own too.
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