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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
Easily
Caught
Contriving
Reach
Dissimulation
Others
Pretends
Never
Cheating
Men
Traps
Deception
Reached
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Timidity is a fault for which it is dangerous to reprove persons whom we wish to correct of it.
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Generally speaking, we would make a good bargain by renouncing all the good that people say of us, upon condition they would say no ill.
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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.
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Hope is the last thing that dies in man.
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If it were not for poetry, few men would ever fall in love.
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The contempt of riches in philosophers was only a hidden desire to avenge their merit upon the injustice of fortune, by despising the very goods of which fortune had deprived them it was a secret to guard themselves against the degradation of poverty, it was a back way by which to arrive at that distinction which they could not gain by riches.
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Nothing is more contagious than example, and no man does any exceeding good or exceeding ill but it spawns new deeds of the same kind. The good we imitate through emulation, the ill through the malignity of our nature, which shame keeps locked up, but example sets free.
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People's personalities, like buildings, have various facades, some pleasant to view, some not.
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One forgives to the degree that one loves.
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The prospect of being pleased tomorrow will never console me for the boredom of today.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We give advice, we do not inspire conduct.
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
Our repentances are generally not so much a concern and remorse for the harm we have done, as a fear of the harm we may have brought upon ourselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We had better appear what we are, than affect to appear what we are not.
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
We confess to little faults only to persuade ourselves we have no great ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
If we had no faults, we would not derive so much pleasure from noting those of other people.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Jealousy is bred in doubts. When those doubts change into certainties, then the passion either ceases or turns absolute madness.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The constancy of sages is nothing but the art of locking up their agitation in their hearts.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld