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Self-love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world.
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
Cunning
Self
Men
Love
World
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Innocence does not find near so much protection as guilt.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The reason that lovers never weary each other is because they are always talking about themselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Praise is a more ingenious, concealed, and subtle kind of flattery, that satisfies both the giver and the receiver, though by verydifferent ways. The one accepts it as a reward due to his merit the other gives it that he may be looked upon as a just and discerning person.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
If you cannot find peace in yourself, it is useless to look for it elsewhere.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We give advice, but we cannot give the wisdom to profit by it.
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
The shame that arises from praise which we do not deserve often makes us do things we should otherwise never have attempted.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
As we grow older we grow both more foolish and wiser at the same time.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
He who lives without committing any folly is not so wise as he thinks. [Fr., Qui vit sans folie n'est pas si sage qu'il croit.]
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Humility is often only feigned submission which people use to render others submissive. It is a subterfuge of pride which lowers itself in order to rise.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The passions often engender their contraries.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We may give advice, but not the sense to use it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so small wits seem to have the gift of speaking much and saying nothing.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Love of glory, fear of shame, greed for fortune, the desire to make life agreeable and comfortable, and the wish to depreciate others - all of these are often the causes of the bravery that is spoken so highly of by men.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Those who are incapable of committing great crimes do not readily suspect them in others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The truest mark of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches beyond their own understanding.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The sicknesses of the soul have their ups and downs like those of the body what we take to be a cure is most often merely a respite or change of disease.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It appears that nature has hid at the bottom of our hearts talents and abilities unknown to us. It is only the passions that have the power of bringing them to light, and sometimes give us views more true and more perfect than art could possibly do.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld