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Moderation is represented as a virtue in order to restrain the ambition of great men, and to console those of a meaner condition in their lesser merit and fortune.

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
Men
Merit
Condition
Fortune
Meaner
Ambition
Restrain
Conditions
Console
Virtue
Lesser
Order
Represented
Great
Moderation

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We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.
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Imagination does not enable us to invent as many different contradictions as there are by nature in every heart.
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The passions are the only orators that always persuade: they are, as it were, a natural art, the rules of which are infallible and the simplest man with passion is more persuasive than the most eloquent without it.
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A man often imagines that he acts, when he is acted upon.
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Men are often so foolish as to boast and value themselves upon their passions, even those that are most vicious. But envy is a passion so full of cowardice and shame that no one every ever had the confidence to own it.
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It is worth nothing to be young without being beautiful, nor to be beautiful without being young.
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There are some faults which, when well managed, make a greater figure than virtue itself.
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For envy, like lightning, generally strikes at the top Or any point which sticks out from the ordinary level. LUCRETIUS, De Rerum Natura Our envy always outlives the felicity of its object.
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The clemency of Princes is often but policy to win the affections of the people.
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Those who are condemned to death affect sometimes a constancy and contempt for death which is only the fear of facing it so that one may say that this constancy and contempt are to their mind what the bandage is to their eyes.
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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.
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The art of using moderate abilities to advantage often brings greater results than actual brilliance
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Idleness and constancy fix the mind to what it finds easy and agreeable. This habit always confines and cramps up our knowledge and no one has ever taken the trouble to stretch and carry his understanding as far as it could go.
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Constancy in love is of two sorts: One is the effect of new excellencies that are always presenting themselves afresh, and attractour affections continually the other is only from a point of honor, and a taking of pride not to change.
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If we did not have pride, we would not complain of it in others.
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Organize one's values in the order of their worth
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Preserving health by too severe a rule is a worrisome malady.
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We like to read others but we do not like to be read.
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On why I don't trust democracy without extremely powerful systems of accountability and recall What seems to be generosity is often only disguised ambition - which despises small interests to gain great ones.
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