Francois VI Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Francois VI Duc de La Rochefoucauld
affect qualities quality ridiculous
We are never so ridiculous by the qualities we have, as by those we affect to have.
eloquent man natural passions persuasive rules simplest
The passions are the only advocates which always persuade. They are a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without.
admire love whom
We love those who admire us, but not those whom we admire.
admire french-writer love
We always love those that admire us, but we do not always love those we admire.
below bitter hate hatred places whom
When our hatred is too bitter it places us below those whom we hate.
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.
cute-love everybody few love talks true
True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen.
condition french-writer people render seldom ungrateful
We seldom find people ungrateful so long as we are in a condition to render them service.
deceives few persons praise prefer sufficient wisdom
Few persons have sufficient wisdom to prefer censure, which is useful, to praise which deceives them.
fights side wrong
Fights would not last, if only one side was wrong
discharge great hurry obligation
Too great a hurry to discharge an obligation is a kind of ingratitude.
finds man peace seek useless within
When a man finds no peace within himself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.
credit except good opinions persons scarcely
We credit scarcely any persons with good sense except those who are of our opinion.
faults french-writer half observing
If we had no faults of our own, we should not take half so much satisfaction in observing those of other people.