Francois VI Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Francois VI Duc de La Rochefoucauld
discharge great hurry obligation
Too great a hurry to discharge an obligation is a kind of ingratitude.
flatterer french-writer greatest
Self-love is the greatest flatterer in the world.
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.
absence blows candles great increases mediocre passions wind
Absence weakens mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind blows out candles and kindles fires.
absence candles diminishes fans great increases passions wind
Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, as wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire.
born certain envy great qualities sign
The most certain sign of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy
cleverness conceal great
It is great cleverness to know how to conceal our cleverness.
brilliant great result unless viewed
How ever a brilliant an action, it should not be viewed as great unless it is the result of a great motive.
acquire fame great judged means men ought
The fame of great men ought to be judged always by the means they used to acquire it.
finds man peace seek useless within
When a man finds no peace within himself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.
faithful love remain struggle undergo
The struggle we undergo to remain faithful to one we love is little better than infidelity.
argument fault last lay quarrels
Quarrels would not last so long if the fault lay only on one side.
approach enemies judgments nearer truth
Our enemies approach nearer to truth in their judgments of us than we do ourselves.
credit except good opinions persons scarcely
We credit scarcely any persons with good sense except those who are of our opinion.