François de La Rochefoucauld
French moralist and author of the Maxims, 1613-1680
32 quotes.
Quotes by François de La Rochefoucauld
- As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so it is of small wits to talk much, and say nothing.
- Few people have the wisdom to prefer the criticism that would do them good, to the praise that deceives them.
- Few things are impossible in themselves; application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means.
- Few things are impracticable in themselves: and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail of success.
- Happiness depends on the taste, and not on the thing: and it is by having what we like that we are made happy, and not by having what others consider likeable.
- If we had no faults ourselves, we should not take such pleasure in observing those of others.
- If we have not peace within ourselves, it is in vain to seek it from outward sources.
- It is more shameful to be distrustful of our friends than to be deceived by them.
- It is not enough to have great qualities, we should also have the management of them.
- It is only people who possess firmness who can possess true gentleness. In those who appear gentle, it is generally only weakness, which is readily converted into harshness.
- Little minds are too much wounded by little things; great minds see all and are not even hurt.
- Nature makes merit but fortune sets it to work.
- Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.
- Perfect valor is to do without witnesses what one would do before all the world.
- Perfect virtue is to do unwitnessed what we should be capable of doing before all the world.
- Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side.
- The knack of making good use of moderate abilities secures the esteem of men, and often raises to higher fame than real merit.
- The sure way to be cheated is to fancy ourselves more cunning than others.
- The truest mark of being born with great qualities is being born without envy.
- The virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are in the sea.
- There are few people who are more often in the wrong than those who cannot endure to be thought so.
- There are no accidents so unfortunate from which skilful men will not draw some advantage, nor so fortunate that foolish men will not turn them to their hurt.
- There are no chances so unlucky from which clever people are not able to reap some advantage, and none so lucky that the foolish are not able to turn to their own disadvantage.
- Those who bestow too much application on trifling things become generally incapable of great ones.
- True eloquence consists in saying all that should be, not all that could be said.
- True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and nothing but what is necessary.
- We have more power than will; and it is often by way of excuse to ourselves that we fancy things are impossible.
- We have more strength than will; and it is often merely for an excuse we say things are impossible.
- We should gain more by letting the world see what we are than by trying to seem what we are not.
- We should not judge of a man's merit by his great abilities, but by the use he makes of them.
- Were we to take as much pains to be what we ought to be as we do to disguise what we really are, we might appear like ourselves without being at the trouble of any disguise at all.
- When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.