François de La Rochefoucauld Quotes - Page 2

Nobody deserves to be praised for goodness unless he is strong enough to be bad, for any other goodness is usually merely inertia or lack of will-power

Hope is the last thing that dies in man.

A man's happiness or unhappiness depends as much on his temperament as on his destiny.

We often forgive those who bore us but can't forgive those whom we bore.

Passion often makes fools of the wisest men and gives the silliest wisdom.

Everyone complains of his memory, and no one complains of his judgment.

One forgives to the degree that one loves.

We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears.

A man who finds no satisfaction in himself seeks for it in vain elsewhere.

A weakling is incapable of sincerity.

There are bad people who would be less dangerous if they were quite devoid of goodness.

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

Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.

Happiness is in the taste and not in the things themselves we are happy from possessing what we like not from possessing what others like.

One is never fortunate or as unfortunate as one imagines.

Reason alone is insufficient to make us enthusiastic in any matter.

It is easier to understand mankind in general than any individual man.

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

Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.