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Commonplace minds usually condemn what is beyond the reach of their understanding.
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
Understanding
Mind
Condemn
Commonplace
Minds
Reach
Usually
Beyond
More quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
One of the greatest and also the commonest of faults is for men to believe that, because they never hear their shortcomings spoken of, or read about them in cold print, others can have no knowledge of them. GEORG CHRISTOPH LICHTENBERG, The Reflections of Lichtenberg We are often more agreeable through our faults than our good qualities.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Self-interest makes some people blind, and others sharp-sighted.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
When the heart is still disturbed by the relics of a passion it is proner to take up a new one than when wholly cured.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Most men expose themselves in battle enough to save their honor, few wish to do so more than sufficiently, or than is necessary to make the design for which they expose themselves succeed.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are some persons who only disgust with their abilities, there are persons who please even with their faults.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Most people know no other way of judging men's worth but by the vogue they are in, or the fortunes they have met with.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Our aversion to lying is commonly a secret ambition to make what we say considerable, and have every word received with a religious respect.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Pity is a sense of our own misfortunes in those of another man it is a sort of foresight of the disasters which may befall ourselves. We assist others,, in order that they may assist us on like occasions so that the services we offer to the unfortunate are in reality so many anticipated kindnesses to ourselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Innocence is lucky if it finds the same protection as guilt
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We give advice, but we cannot give the wisdom to profit by it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so small wits seem to have the gift of speaking much and saying nothing.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Consolation for unhappiness can often be found in a certain satisfaction we get from looking unhappy.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
All our qualities, whether good or bad, are unstable and ambiguous, and almost all are at the mery of chance.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Only the great can afford to have great defects.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Organize one's values in the order of their worth
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
There are some bad qualities which make great talents.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We often select envenomed praise which, by a reaction upon those we praise, shows faults we could not have shown by other means.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We often in our misfortunes take that for constancy and patience which is only dejection of mind we suffer without daring to holdup our heads, just as cowards let themselves be knocked on the head because they have not courage to strike back.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld