Quotes from Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Moderation is represented as a virtue in order to restrain the ambition of great men, and to console those of a meaner condition in their lesser merit and fortune.

Great men's honor ought always to be measured by the methods they made use of in attaining it.

Few things are needed to make a wise man happy; nothing can make a fool content; that is why most men are miserable.

The happiness and unhappiness of men depends as much on their ethics as on fortune.

Some men are so full of themselves that when they fall in love, they amuse themselves rather with their own passion than with theperson they love.

The esteem of good men is the reward of our worth, but the reputation of the world in general is the gift of our fate.

All men are equally proud. The only difference is that not all take the same methods of showing it.

In every walk of life each man puts on a personality and outward appearance so as to look what he wants to be thought; in fact you might say that society is entirely made up of assumed personalities.

There is no accident so unfortunate but wise men will make some advantage of it, nor any so entirely fortunate but fools may turn it to their own prejudice.

The generality of men have, like plants, latent properties, which chance brings to light.

For the credit of virtue we must admit that the greatest misfortunes of men are those into which they fall through their crimes.

Self-love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world.

Men more easily renounce their interests than their tastes.

A respectable man may love madly, but not foolishly.

The moderation of men in the most exalted fortunes is a desire to be thought above those things that have raised them so high.

Most people judge men by their success or their good fortune.

Passion often makes a fool of the cleverest man and often makes the most foolish men clever

However wicked men may be, they do not dare openly to appear the enemies of virtue, and when they desire to persecute her they either pretend to believe her false or attribute crimes to her.

A man does not please long when he has only species of wit.

A man may be sharper than another, but not than all others.

Humility is often only a feigned submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them; it is a more calculated sort of pride.

A man often believes himself leader when he is led; as his mind endeavors to reach one goal, his heart insensibly drags him towards another.

There are two things which Man cannot look at directly without flinching: the sun and death.

If it were not for the company of fools, a witty man would often be greatly at a loss.