Nothing more enhances authority than silence. It is the crowning virtue of the strong, the refuge of the weak, the modesty of the proud, the pride of the humble, the prudence of the wise, and the sense of fools. To speak is to . . . dissipate one's strength; whereas what action demands is concentration. Silence is a necessary preliminary to the ordering of one's thoughts.

Charles de Gaulle

Categorized in : Wise Strong Strength

Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.

Charles de Gaulle

patriotic hate integrity

How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?

Charles de Gaulle

six food two

Always choose the hardest way, on it you will not find opponents

Charles de Gaulle

opponents hardest way

You may be sure that the Americans will commit all the stupidities they can think of, plus some that are beyond imagination.

Charles de Gaulle

funny america thinking

Belgium is a country invented by the British to annoy the French.

Charles de Gaulle

belgium annoying country

I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.

Charles de Gaulle

politics political life

Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.

Charles de Gaulle

trust freedom witty

The graveyards are full of indispensable men.

Charles de Gaulle

leadership witty death

Deliberation is the work of many men. Action, of one alone.

Charles de Gaulle

standing-alone action men

It will not be any European statesman who will unite Europe: Europe will be united by the Chinese.

Charles de Gaulle

chinese politics europe

Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.

Charles de Gaulle

weapons silence power

War stirs in men's hearts the mud of their worst instincts. It puts a premium on violence, nourishes hatred, and gives free rein to cupidity. It crushes the weak, exalts the unworthy, and bolsters tyranny .. .Time and time again it has destroyed all ordered living, devastated hope, and put the prophets to death.

Charles de Gaulle

crush war peace

Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.

Charles de Gaulle

determination success inspirational

You have to be fast on your feet and adaptive or else a strategy is useless.

Charles de Gaulle

gnarly change leadership

At the root of our civilization, there is the freedom of each person of thought, of belief, of opinion, of work, of leisure.

Charles de Gaulle

leisure roots civilization

Soyons fermes, purs et fidèles ; au bout de nos peines, il y a la plus grande gloire du monde, celle des hommes qui n'ont pas cédé. [Let us be firm, pure and faithful; at the end of our sorrow, there is the greatest glory of the world, that of the men who did not give in.]

Charles de Gaulle

faithful giving men

We may go to the moon, but that' s not very far. The greatest distance we have to cover still lies within us.

Charles de Gaulle

suicide motivational inspirational

In politics it is necessary either to betray one's country or the electorate. I prefer to betray the electorate.

Charles de Gaulle

nerd betrayal country

One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day was; one cannot judge life until death.

Charles de Gaulle

judging waiting death

When I am right, I get angry. Churchill gets angry when he is wrong. We are angry at each other much of the time.

Charles de Gaulle

anger politics political