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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
We should not judge a man's merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.
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We only confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no big ones.
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The rust of business is sometimes polished off in a camp but never in a court.
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The less you trust others, the less you will be deceived.
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Jealousy is bred in doubts. When those doubts change into certainties, then the passion either ceases or turns absolute madness.
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The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us.
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There is at least as much eloquence in the voice, eyes, and air of a speaker as in his choice of words.
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In the misfortunes of our best friends we always find something not altogether displeasing to us.
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The whimsicalness of our own humor is a thousand times more fickle and unaccountable than what we blame so much in fortune.
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Gallantry of mind consists in saying flattering things in an agreeable manner.
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We speak little if not egged on by vanity.
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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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We sometimes think that we hate flattery, but we only hate the manner in which it is done. [Fr., On croit quelquefoir hair la flatterie maid on ne hait que a maniere de flatter.]
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Those great and glorious actions that dazzle our eyes with their luster are represented by statesmen as the result of great wisdomand excellent design whereas, in truth, they are commonly the effects of the humors and passions.
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The desire which urges us to deserve praise strengthens our good qualities, and praise given to wit, valour, and beauty, tends to increase them.
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It is often hard to determine whether a clear, open, and honorable proceeding is the result of goodness or of cunning.
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Things often offer themselves to our mind in a more finished form in the very first thought, than we might have made them by muchart and study.
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We had better appear what we are, than affect to appear what we are not.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
All the passions make us commit faults love makes us commit the most ridiculous ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Sometimes accidents happen in life from which we have need of a little madness to extricate ourselves successfully
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
