Quote

Those who foolishly pride themselves on their nobility mistake that which makes them noble, for it is only the virtue of their ancestors that gives them noble blood.

Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Virtue
Foolishly
Mistake
Nobility
Makes
Ancestors
Giving
Ancestor
Noble
Pride
Gives
Blood

More quotes by Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable

Image
It is such a great fault to talk too much that, in business and conversation, if what is good is also brief, it is doubly good, and one gains by brevity what one often loses by an excess of words.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
Mean-spirited mediocrities, especially those with a smattering of learning, are the most likely to be opinionated. Only strong minds know how to correct their opinions and abandon a bad position.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
The loftiness of understanding embraces all. It requires as much spirit to suffer the failings of others as it does to appreciate their good qualities.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
We nearly always make ourselves masters of those whom we know well, because he who is thoroughly understood is in some sense subject to those who understand him.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
This imperiousness which aids us in all things is merely a fitting authority which comes from superior spirit.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
It is a strength of character to acknowledge our failings and our strong points, and it is a weakness of character not to remain in harmony with both the good and the bad that is within us.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
Virtue is not always where it seems to be. People sometimes acknowledge favors only to maintain their reputations, and to make themselves more impudently ungrateful for favors that they do not wish to acknowledge.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
There are petty-minded people who cannot endure to be reminded of their ignorance because, since they are usually quite blind to all things, quite foolish, and quite ignorant, they never question anything, and are persuaded that they see clearly what in fact they never see at all, save through the darkness of their own dispositions.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
Ignorance makes for weakness and fear knowledge gives strength and confidence. Nothing surprises an intellect that knows all things with a sense of discrimination.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
It is vain and useless to survey everything that goes on in the world if our study does not help us mend our ways.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
It is a very trying task for deceitful people, always to have to cover up their lack of sincerity and to repair the breaking of their word.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
It is sometimes useful to pretend we are deceived, because when we show a deceiving man that we see through his artifices, we only encourage him to increase his deceptions.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
Often the desire to appear competent impedes our ability to become competent, because we more anxious to display our knowledge than to learn what we do not know.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
It is a singular characteristic of love that we cannot hide it where it exists, or pretend it where it does not exist.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
We need not regard what good a friend has done us, but only his desire to do us good.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
Wealth does not teach us to transcend the desire for wealth. The possession of many goods does not bring the repose of not desiring them.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
Love is always master everywhere. It shapes the soul, the heart, and the mind wherever it exists. What matters is not the amount of love, but simply its existence in the mind and heart where it resides. And it truly appears that love is to the soul of the lover as the soul itself is to the body which it animates.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
The conversation of those who like to lord it over us is very disagreeable. But we should always be ready to graciously acknowledge the truth, no matter in what guise it comes to us.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
We judge matters so superficially that ordinary acts and words, done and spoken with some flair and some knowledge of worldly matters, often succeed better than the greatest cleverness.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable
Image
When High and Mighty people want to make us believe that they possess some good quality which they in fact do not have, it is dangerous to show that you doubt them because, by removing their hope of deceiving the world, you also remove their desire to perform the good acts that might have arisen from their very pretensions.
Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable