François de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

Man is so wretched that, while he shapes all of his conduct to gratify his passions, he groans incessantly under their tyranny. He can endure neither their violence, nor the violence that he would have to inflict on himself in order to rid himself of their yoke. He is frustrated not only by his vices, but also by the things that would cure them; and he cannot come to terms either with the discomfort of his afflictions or with the task of curing himself.

Hope and fear are inseparable, and there is no fear without hope nor hope without fear

Nous pardonnons souvent à ceux qui nous ennuient, mais nous ne pouvons pardonner à ceux que nous ennuyons.

Those who most obstinately oppose the most widely-held opinions more often do so because of pride than lack of intelligence. They find the best places in the right set already taken, and they do not want back seats.

True love is like ghosts which many believe in, but few have seen.

Il y a du mérite sans élévation, mais il n'y a point d'élévation sans quelque mérite.

La vérité ne fait pas tant de bien dans le monde
que ses apparences y font de mal.

"En vieillissant on devient plus fou, et plus sage.

"Growing older, we become both wiser and more foolish.

We need greater virtues to sustain good than evil fortune.

The gratitude of most men is but a secret desire to receive even greater benefits.

Confidence always pleases those who receive it. It is a tribute we pay to their merit, a deposit we commit to their trust, a pledge which gives them a claim upon us, a kind of dependence to which we voluntarily submit. I do not wish from what I have said to depreciate confidence, so necessary to man.

We may find women who have never indulged in an intrigue, but it is rare to find those who have intrigued but once.

Those who have had great passions are happy all their lives and would be unhappy to have been cured of them.

"Il y a dans la jalousie plus d'amour-propre que d'amour.

"In jealousy, there is more self-love than love.

Rien ne doit tant diminuer la satisfaction que nous avons de nous-mêmes, que de voir que nous désapprouvons dans un temps ce que nous approuvions dans un autre.