The most clever and polite are content with only seeming attentive while we perceive in their mind and eyes that at the very time they are wandering from what is said and desire to return to what they want to say. Francois de La Rochefoucauld More Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld More Quotes From Francois de La Rochefoucauld Weak people cannot be sincere. Francois de La Rochefoucauld sincerityweaknesspeople One is never fortunate or as unfortunate as one imagines. Francois de La Rochefoucauld fortunateunfortunateimagine One cannot answer for his courage when he has never been in danger. Francois de La Rochefoucauld cynicalcouragelife Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another. Francois de La Rochefoucauld jealousyselfspring Humility is often a false front we employ to gain power over others. Francois de La Rochefoucauld power-over-othersgainshumility Hope is the last thing that dies in man; and though it be exceedingly deceitful, yet it is of this good use to us, that while we are traveling through life it conducts us in an easier and more pleasant way to our journey's end. Francois de La Rochefoucauld journeyhopemen We are much harder on people who betray us in small ways than on people who betray others in great ones. Francois de La Rochefoucauld betrayalpeopleway The great interests of man: air and light, the joy of having a body, the voluptuousness of looking. Francois de La Rochefoucauld lightairmen We always get bored with those whom we bore. Francois de La Rochefoucauld boresbored Nothing is so contagious as example; and we never do any great good or evil which does not produce its like. Francois de La Rochefoucauld volunteerexampleevil One can find women who have never had one love affair, but it is rare indeed to find any who have had only one. Francois de La Rochefoucauld affairloverelationship Hope, deceitful as it is, carries us through life agreeably enough. Francois de La Rochefoucauld deceitfulenoughhope We often do shallow good in order to accomplish evil with impunity. Francois de La Rochefoucauld wickednessevilorder Few things are impossible in themselves: application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means. Francois de La Rochefoucauld succeedimpossiblemean High fortune makes both our virtues and vices stand out as objects that are brought clearly to view by the light. Francois de La Rochefoucauld lightvicesviews If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us. Francois de La Rochefoucauld flatteryharmifs We rarely ever perceive others as being sensible, except for those who agree with us. Francois de La Rochefoucauld perceiveagreementsensible To be a great man it is necessary to know how to profit by the whole of our good fortune. Francois de La Rochefoucauld greatnessfortunemen Jealousy is in some measure just and reasonable, since it merely aims at keeping something that belongs to us or we think belongsto us, whereas envy is a frenzy that cannot bear anything that belongs to others. Francois de La Rochefoucauld envyjealousythinking In friendship as well as love, ignorance very often contributes more to our happiness than knowledge. Francois de La Rochefoucauld wellsignorancelove