Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Writer

Francois de La Rochefoucauld was a 17th-century French writer known for his insightful maxims on human nature and morality.

Born
September 15, 1613
Died
March 17, 1680
Quotes
1.1K
Rank
#443

About Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Francois de La Rochefoucauld — Life and Legacy

Francois de La Rochefoucauld, a prominent 17th-century French writer, is best known for his collection of maxims that delve into the complexities of human nature. His work, 'Maximes', presents a candid exploration of self-interest, hypocrisy, and the often contradictory motives that drive human behavior. La Rochefoucauld's keen observations reveal a worldview that challenges the idealistic notions of morality prevalent in his time. For instance, he famously stated, 'We are more concerned about our reputation than our character,' which underscores the tension between societal expectations and personal integrity. This perspective not only reflects his understanding of the human psyche but also critiques the superficiality of social interactions. His insights remain relevant today, as they encourage readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about themselves and others, fostering a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Quote collection

Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes (page 1 of 55)

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"Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example."

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"All women are flirts, but some are restrained by shyness, and others by sense."

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"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires."

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"The passions are the only orators that always persuade: they are, as it were, a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion is more persuasive than the most eloquent without it."

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"True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen."

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"A work can become modern only if it is first postmodern. Postmodernism thus understood is not modernism at its end but in the nascent state, and this state is constant."

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"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."

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"When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere."

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"There is only one kind of love, but there are a thousand imitations."

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"Nothing hinders a thing from being natural so much as the straining ourselves to make it seem so."

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"Marriage is the only war in which you sleep with the enemy."

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"Most people know no other way of judging men's worth but by the vogue they are in, or the fortunes they have met with."

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"There are no accidents 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 them to their own disadvantage."

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"It is only persons of firmness that can have real gentleness. Those who appear gentle are, in general, only a weak character, which easily changes into asperity."

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"The accent of one's birthplace remains in the mind and in the heart as in one's speech."

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"To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation."

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"Decency is the least of all laws, but yet it is the law which is most strictly observed."

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"Few people have the wisdom to prefer the criticism that would do them good, to the praise that deceives them."

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"No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong."

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