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The cunningest dissimulation is when a man pretends to be caught in the traps others set for him and a man is never so easily over-reached as when he is contriving to over-reach others.
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
Never
Cheating
Men
Traps
Deception
Reached
Easily
Caught
Contriving
Reach
Dissimulation
Others
Pretends
More quotes by 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
We should desire very few things passionately if we did but perfectly know the nature of the things we desire.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
No man deserves to be praised for his goodness, who has it not in his power to be wicked. Goodness without that power is generally nothing more than sloth, or an impotence of will.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Gratitude is like credit it is the backbone of our relations frequently we pay our debts not because equity demands that we should, but to facilitate future loans.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
No men are oftener wrong than those that can least bear to be so.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
That conduct often seems ridiculous the secret reasons of which are wise and solid.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is much better to learn to deal with the ills we have now than to speculate on those that may befall us.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The passions do very often give birth to others of a nature most contrary to their own. Thus avarice sometimes brings forth prodigality, and prodigality avarice a man's resolution is very often the effect of levity, and his boldness that of cowardice and fear.
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
Sincerity is a certain openness of heart. It is to be found in very few, and what we commonly look upon to be so is only a cunningsort of dissimulation, to insinuate ourselves into the confidence of others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The judgments our enemies make about us come nearer to the truth than those we make about ourselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We should gain more by letting the world see what we are than by trying to seem what we are not.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
No one thinks fortune so blind as those she has been least kind to.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Honest people will respect us for our merit: the public, for our luck.
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
Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches beyond their own understanding.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The breeding we give young people is ordinarily but an additional self-love, by which we make them have a better opinion of themselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Humility is often a false front we employ to gain power over others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
It is no tragedy to do ungrateful people favors, but it is unbearable to be indebted to a scoundrel.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves nor take away from themselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
