No disguise can long conceal love where it exists, or long feign it where it is lacking. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Perfect courage means doing unwitnessed what we would be capable of with the world looking on. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Nothing is given so profusely as advice. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
There is great ability in knowing how to conceal one’s ability. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Absence lessens the minor passions and increases the great ones, as the wind douses a candle and kindles a fire. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Why can we remember the tiniest detail that has happened to us, and not remember how many times we have told it to the same person. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
To safeguard one’s health at the cost of too strict a diet is a tiresome illness indeed. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
True eloquence consists in saying all that should be said, and that only. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
The most certain sign of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
What makes us so bitter against people who outwit us is that they think themselves cleverer than we are. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
The height of cleverness is to be able to conceal it. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
None but the contemptible are apprehensive of contempt. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
When we cannot find contentment in ourselves it is useless to seek it elsewhere. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Fancy does not enable us to invent so many different contradictions as there are by nature in every heart. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Decency is the least of all laws, but yet it is the law which is most strictly observed. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Chance corrects us of many faults that reason would not know how to correct. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Funeral pomp is more for the vanity of the living than for the honour of the dead. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Politeness is a desire to be treated politely, and to be esteemed polite oneself. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Self-interest makes some people blind, and others sharp-sighted. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Avarice is more directly opposed to thrift than generosity is. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
It is often laziness and timidity that keep us within our duty – while virtue gets all the credit. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Our minds are as much given to laziness as our bodies. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
There are but very few men clever enough to know all the mischief they do. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
That clemency which the world cries up for such a mighty virtue proceeds sometimes from ostentation, sometimes from laziness and neglect, very often from fear, almost always from a mixture of all these together. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
The clemency of Princes is often but policy to win the affections of the people. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
He that would be a great man must learn to turn every accident to some advantage. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Constancy in love is of two sorts: One is the effect of new excellencies that are always presenting themselves afresh, and attract our affections continually; the other is only from a point of honour, and a taking of pride not to change. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
The constancy of the wise is nothing else but the knack of concealing their passion and trouble. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Our repentance is not so much regret for the ill we have done as fear of the ill that may happen to us in consequence. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Quarrels would never last long, if the fault were on but one side. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Self-interest speaks all sort of languages, and plays all sort of roles- even that of disinterest. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
What is called generosity is usually only the vanity of giving; we enjoy the vanity more than the thing given. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
What makes vanity so insufferable to us, is that it hurts our own. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
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. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Hypocrisy is the homage which vice pays to virtue. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Jealousy feeds upon suspicion, and it turns into fury or it ends as soon as we pass from suspicion to certainty. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
It is more shameful to mistrust one’s friends than to be deceived by them. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld
Sincerity is an openness of heart; we find it in very few people; what we usually see is only an artful dissimulation to win the confidence of others. Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld