1613-1680, French Classical Writer
We think very few people sensible, except those who are of our opinion.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Opinions]
We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Motivation]
We would rather speak badly of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Egotism]
Weak people cannot be sincere.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Sincerity]
Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Character]
What is called generosity is usually only the vanity of giving; we enjoy the vanity more than the thing given.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Generosity]
What makes lovers never tire of one another is that they talk always about themselves.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Love]
What makes us so bitter against people who outwit us is that they think themselves cleverer than we are.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Losers and Losing]
What makes vanity so insufferable to us, is that it hurts our own.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Vanity]
What men have called friendship is only a social arrangement, a mutual adjustment of interests, an interchange of services given and received; it is, in sum, simply a business from which those involved propose to derive a steady profit for their own self-love.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Friends and Friendship]
What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Generosity]
When a man finds no peace within himself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Peace]
When our hatred is violent, it sinks us even beneath those we hate.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Hatred]
When we cannot find contentment in ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Contentment]
When we disclaim praise, it is only showing our desire to be praised a second time.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Praise]
Why is our memory good enough to recall to the last detail things that have happened to us, yet not good enough to recall how often we have told them to the same person.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld – [Memory]
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