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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.
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
Great
Mark
Mind
Minds
Things
Words
Use
Littles
Little
Nothing
Many
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
A man often believes himself leader when he is led as his mind endeavors to reach one goal, his heart insensibly drags him towards another.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Moderation resembles temperance. We are not so unwilling to eat more, as afraid of doing ourselves harm by it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Jealousy is in some measure just and reasonable, since it merely aims at keeping something that belongs to us or we think belongsto us, whereas envy is a frenzy that cannot bear anything that belongs to others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
He that fancies such a sufficiency in himself that he can live without all the world is greatly mistaken but he that imagines himself so necessary that other people cannot live without him is a great deal more mistaken.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
In all professions each affects a look and an exterior to appear what he wishes the world to believe that he is. Thus we may say that the whole world is made up of appearances.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The name and pretense of virtue is as serviceable to self-interest as are real vices.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We are easily comforted for the misfortunes of our friends, when those misfortunes give us an occasion of expressing our affection and solicitude.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
In the human heart new passions are forever being born the overthrow of one almost always means the rise of another.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We should not judge a man's merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Almost everyone takes pleasure in repaying trifling obligations, very many feel gratitude for those that are moderate but there is scarcely anyone who is not ungrateful for those that are weighty.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is most difficult to speak when we are ashamed of being silent.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are no events so disastrous that adroit men do not draw some advantage from them, nor any so fortunate that the imprudent cannot turn to their own prejudice.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Some weak people are so sensible of their weakness as to be able to make a good use of it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is a mistake to imagine, that the violent passions only, such as ambition and love, can triumph over the rest. Idleness, languid as it is, often masters them all she influences all our designs and actions, and insensibly consumes and destroys both passions and virtues.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The reason why most women have so little sense of friendship is that this is but a cold and flat passion to those that have felt that of love.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We are nearer loving those who hate us than those who love us more than we wish.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
More men are guilty of treason through weakness than any studied design to betray.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
A small degree of wit, accompanied by good sense, is less tiresome in the long run than a great amount of wit without it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Folly pursues us at all periods of our lives. If someone seems wise it is only because his follies are proportionate to his age and fortune.
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
