Top 500 François de La Rochefoucauld Quotes (2026 Update)
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301. “We say little, when vanity does not make us speak.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

302. “Intrepidity is an extraordinary strength of soul, which raises it above the troubles, disorders and emotions which the sight of great perils can arouse in it; by this strength heroes maintain a calm aspect and preserve their reason and liberty in the most surprising and terrible accidents.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

303. “We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

304. “People are more slanderous from vanity than from malice.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

305. “Sometimes there are accidents in our lives the skillful extrication from which demands a little folly.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

306. “There is many a virtuous woman weary of her trade.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

307. “What makes false reckoning, as regards gratitude, is that the pride of the giver and the receiver cannot agree as to the value of the benefit.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

308. “As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so small wits seem to have the gift of speaking much and saying nothing.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

309. “Solemnity is a device of the body to hide the faults of the mind.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

310. “The health of the soul is as precarious as that of the body; for when we seem secure from passions, we are no less in danger of their infection than we are of falling ill when we appear to be well.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

311. “Nothing is more ridiculous in old people that were once good-looking, than to forget that they are not so still.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

312. “Great names abase, instead of elevating, those who do not know how to bear them.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

313. “Satire is at once the most agreeable and most dangerous of mental qualities. It always pleases when it is refined, but we always fear those who use it too much; yet satire should be allowed when unmixed with spite, and when the person satirized can join in the satire.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

314. “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.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

315. “Silence is the safest course for any man to adopt who distrust himself.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

316. “The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

317. “The fame of great men ought to be judged always by their big, fancy names.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

318. “It is impossible to love a second time what we have really ceased to love.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

319. “Reconciliation with our enemies is simply a desire to better our condition, a weariness of war, or the fear of some unlucky thing from occurring.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

320. “Most women lament not the death of their lovers so much out of real affection for them, as because they would appear worthy of love.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

321. “Those who occupy their minds with small matters, generally become incapable of greatness.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

322. “There are a great many men valued in society who have nothing to recommend them but serviceable vices.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

323. “Men’s happiness and misery depends altogether as much upon their own humor as it does upon fortune.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

324. “We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

325. “Lovers, when they are no longer in love, find it very hard to break up.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

326. “A wise man thinks it more advantageous not to join the battle than to win.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

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

— François de La Rochefoucauld

328. “Most men expose themselves in battle enough to save their honor, few wish to do so more than sufficiently, or than is necessary to make the design for which they expose themselves succeed.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

329. “What keeps us from abandoning ourselves entirely to one vice, often, is the fact that we have several.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

330. “Generally speaking, we would make a good bargain by renouncing all the good that people say of us, upon condition they would say no ill.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

331. “Pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

332. “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.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

333. “Usually we praise only to be praised.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

334. “The greatest fault of a penetrating wit is to go beyond the mark.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

335. “Though nature be ever so generous, yet can she not make a hero alone. Fortune must contribute her part too; and till both concur, the work cannot be perfected.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

336. “To know oneself is not necessarily to improve oneself.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

337. “Honest people will respect us for our merit: the public, for our luck.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

338. “The blindness of men is the most dangerous effect of their pride; it seems to nourish and augment it; it deprives them of knowledge of remedies which can solace their miseries and can cure their faults.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

339. “Not all those who know their minds know their hearts as well.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

340. “We are better pleased to see those on whom we confer benefits than those from whom we receive them.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

341. “Every one speaks well of his own heart, but no one dares speak well of his own mind.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

342. “Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against life’s ills.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

343. “No one thinks fortune so blind as those she has been least kind to.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

344. “Interest blinds some people, and enlightens others.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

345. “Fortune converts everything to the advantage of her favorites.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

346. “Many people despise wealth, but few know how to give it away.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

347. “People’s personalities, like buildings, have various facades, some pleasant to view, some not.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

348. “Few things are impossible in themselves: application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

349. “In love deceit nearly always goes further than mistrust.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld

350. “It is as common for tastes to change as it is uncommon for traits of character.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld