Francois VI Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Francois VI Duc de La Rochefoucauld
bringing contagious evil example good great
Nothing is so contagious as an example. We never do great good or evil without bringing about more of the same on the part of others.
credit except good opinions persons scarcely
We credit scarcely any persons with good sense except those who are of our opinion.
evil good order
We often do good in order that we may do evil with impunity.
advice age-and-aging bad console good longer love people themselves
Old people love to give good advice to console themselves for no longer being able to set a bad example.
detail good happened last memory recall
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.
cannot contentment seek useless
When we cannot find contentment in ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.
badly egotism ourselves rather speak talk
We would rather speak badly of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.
conceal cute-love disguise exists love
There is no disguise that can for long conceal love where it exists or simulate it where it does not.
desire lead sufficient ways
There are ways which lead to everything, and if we have sufficient will we should always have sufficient means.
affairs ashamed few love people sad-love
There are few people who are not ashamed of their love affairs when the infatuation is over.
french-writer frequently vices virtues
Our virtues are most frequently but vices in disguise.
becomes doubt entirely madness pass soon stops
Live on doubts; it becomes madness or stops entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty.
advice deceived mistrust shameful
It is more shameful to mistrust one's friends than to be deceived by them
easy others wisdom wise
It is more easy to be wise for others than for ourselves.