"Were we perfectly acquainted with the object, we should never passionately desire it."
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Quote collection
Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes (page 38 of 55)
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"There are certain people fated to be fools; they not only commit follies by choice, but are even constrained to do so by fortune."
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"The judgments our enemies make about us come nearer to the truth than those we make about ourselves."
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"The happiness and unhappiness of men depends as much on their ethics as on fortune."
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"There are bad people who would be less dangerous if they were quite devoid of goodness."
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"Men are not only prone to forget benefits; they even hate those who have obliged them, and cease to hate those who have injured them. The necessity of revenging an injury, or of recompensing a benefit seems a slavery to which they are unwilling to submit."
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"Some people are so extremely whiffling and inconsiderable that they are as far from any real faults as from substantial virtues."
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"Hatred is stronger than friendship."
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"Great souls are not those who have fewer passions and more virtues than others, but only those who have greater designs."
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"The virtues and vices are all put in motion by interest."
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"There are no accidents so unlucky but the prudent may draw some advantage from them."
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"We often shed tears that deceive ourselves after deceiving others."
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"The violence done us by others is often less painful than that which we do to ourselves."
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"If we had no faults, we would not derive so much pleasure from noting those of other people."
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"We say little, when vanity does not make us speak."
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"We should only affect compassion, and carefully avoid having any."
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"It requires greater virtues to support good fortune than bad."
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"To praise princes for virtues they do not possess is to insult them without fear of consequences."
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"Self-interest speaks all manner of tongues and plays all manner of parts, even that of disinterestedness."
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"Those who are themselves incapable of great crimes are ever backward to suspect others."
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