1,221 Quotes by François de La Rochefoucauld

The boldest stroke and best act of friendship is not to disclose our own failings to a friend, but to show him his own.

However evil men may be they dare not be openly hostile to virtue, and so when they want to attack it they pretend to find it spurious , or impute crimes to it.

There are no circumstances, however unfortunate, that clever people do not extract some advantage from.

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.

If one acts rightly and honestly, it is difficult to decide whether it is the effect of integrity or skill.

Esteem never makes ingrates.

It is from a weakness and smallness of mind that men are opinionated; and we are very loath to believe what we are not able to comprehend.

There are few virtuous women who are not bored with their trade.

All the passions are nothing else than different degrees of heat and cold of the blood.