François de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

Second-rate minds usually condemn everything beyond their grasp.

Our wish to deserve the praise of others fortifies our virtue, and praise accorded to intellect, valour, and beauty encourages these things to grow

160. — However brilliant an action it should not be esteemed great unless the result of a great motive.

Il y a des crimes qui deviennent innocents et même glorieux par leur éclat, leur nombre et leur excès. De là vient que les voleries publiques sont des habiletés, et que prendre des provinces injustement s’appelle faire des conquêtes.

The reason that there are so few good conversationalists is that most people are thinking about what they are going to say and not about what the others are saying.

The coldness of women is a balance and burden they add to their beauty.

En vieillissant on devient plus fou et plus sage.

One passion is often the parent of its antithesis; avarice gives birth to prodigality; prodigality to avarice; we are often firm because weak, or bold because timid.

La felicidad está en el gusto, y no en las cosas. Entonces es uno feliz cuando posee lo que ama, y no cuando tiene lo que es amable para los otros.

We prefer to see those to whom we do good than those who do good to us.

most men only die because they know not how to prevent dying.

L'homme croit souvent se conduire lorsqu'il est conduit; et pendant que par son esprit il tend à un but, son coeur l'entraîne insensiblement à un autre.

267. — A quickness in believing evil without having sufficiently examined it, is the effect of pride and laziness. We wish to find the guilty, and we do not wish to trouble ourselves in examining the crime.

We try to make virtues out of the faults we have no wish to correct.

Nobody deserves to be praised for goodness unless he is strong enough to be bad, for any other goodness is usually merely inertia or lack of will-power.