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We should desire very few things passionately if we did but perfectly know the nature of the things we desire.
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
Nature
Things
Passionately
Perfectly
Passion
Knowledge
Desire
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Fortune never seems so blind to any as to those on whom she bestows no favors.
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Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.
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A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.
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There are no accidents so unlucky from which clever people are not able to reap some advantage, and none so lucky that the foolish are not able to turn them to their own disadvantage.
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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.
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Good taste comes more from the judgment than from the mind.
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There are few people more convinced of their own genius than those who complain of how stupid they are.
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It is not expedient or wise to examine our friends too closely few persons are raised in our esteem by a close examination.
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Avarice often produces opposite results: there are an infinite number of persons who sacrifice their property to doubtful and distant expectations others mistake great future advantages for small present interests.
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Neither love nor fire can subsist without perpetual motion both cease to live so soon as they cease to hope, or to fear.
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Sometimes there are accidents in our lives the skillful extrication from which demands a little folly.
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What is called generosity is usually only the vanity of giving we enjoy the vanity more than the thing given.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
To praise great actions with sincerity may be said to be taking part in them.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Tricks and treachery are merely proofs of lack of skill.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Hatred is stronger than friendship.
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What we take for virtue is often nothing but an assemblage of different actions, and of different interests, that fortune or our industry knows how to arrange.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Virtue would go far if vanity did not keep it company.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Whatever pretext we may give for our affections, often it is only interest and vanity which cause them.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
He who refuses praise the first time that it is offered does so because he would hear it a second time.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Innocence does not find near so much protection as guilt.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
