1,221 Quotes by François de La Rochefoucauld

Fortune and humor govern the world.

Moderation is like sobriety: you would like to have some more, but are afraid of making yourself ill.

We are nearer loving those who hate us than those who love us more than we wish.

Indolence, languid as it is, often masters both passions and virtues.

He that fancies such a sufficiency in himself that he can live without all the world is greatly mistaken; but he that imagines himself so necessary that other people cannot live without him is a great deal more mistaken.

The exceeding delight we take in talking about ourselves should give us cause to fear that we are giving but very little pleasureto our listeners.

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

We often credit ourselves with vices the reverse of what we have, thus when weak we boast of our obstinacy.

Silence is the safest policy if you are unsure of yourself.