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Nature makes merit, and fortune puts it to work.
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
Work
Puts
Merit
Fortune
Makes
Nature
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Nothing is more contagious than example, and no man does any exceeding good or exceeding ill but it spawns new deeds of the same kind. The good we imitate through emulation, the ill through the malignity of our nature, which shame keeps locked up, but example sets free.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
To be a great man it is necessary to know how to profit by the whole of our good fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The applause we give those who are new to society often proceeds from a secret envying of those already established.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
For the credit of virtue we must admit that the greatest misfortunes of men are those into which they fall through their crimes.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are some bad qualities which make great talents.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy they are, who already possess it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting the envy and contempt which those merit who are intoxicated with their good fortune it is a vain display of our strength of mind, and in short the moderation of men at their greatest height is only a desire to appear greater than their fortune.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
If we did not have pride, we would not complain of it in others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We do not lack strength so much as the will to use it and very often our imagining that things are impossible is nothing but an excuse of our own contriving, to reconcile ourselves to our own idleness.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We sometimes think that we hate flattery, but we only hate the manner in which it is done. [Fr., On croit quelquefoir hair la flatterie maid on ne hait que a maniere de flatter.]
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Truth has scarce done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done hurt.
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
The more one loves a mistress, the more one is ready to hate her.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are a great many men valued in society who have nothing to recommend them but serviceable vices.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
What is called liberality is often merely the vanity of giving.
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
There is at least as much eloquence in the voice, eyes, and air of a speaker as in his choice of words.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Hatred is stronger than friendship.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
