To know how to hide one's ability is great skill. Francois de La Rochefoucauld More Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld More Quotes From Francois de La Rochefoucauld However great the advantages given us by nature, it is not she alone, but fortune with her, which makes heroes. Francois de La Rochefoucauld advantageherofortune Happy people rarely correct their faults; they consider themselves vindicated, since fortune endorses their evil ways. Francois de La Rochefoucauld evilhappinesspeople Humility is often only feigned submission which people use to render others submissive. It is a subterfuge of pride which lowers itself in order to rise. Francois de La Rochefoucauld pridehumilityorder It is impossible to love a second time what we have really ceased to love. Francois de La Rochefoucauld impossible In love deceit nearly always goes further than mistrust. Francois de La Rochefoucauld mistrustdeceitlove Love, all agreeable as it is, charms more by the fashion in which it displays itself, than by its own true merit. Francois de La Rochefoucauld meritfashionlove Sometimes accidents happen in life from which we have need of a little madness to extricate ourselves successfully Francois de La Rochefoucauld madnesslittlesneeds Great names abase, instead of elevating, those who do not know how to bear them. Francois de La Rochefoucauld know-hownamesbears Smallness of mind is the cause of stubbornness, and we do not credit readily what is beyond our view. Francois de La Rochefoucauld creditviewsmind In great affairs we ought to apply ourselves less to creating chances than to profiting from those that offer. Francois de La Rochefoucauld creatingchanceopportunity Men would not live in society long if they were not each others dupes. Francois de La Rochefoucauld dupesmenlong In the human heart there is a ceaseless birth of passions, so that the destruction of one is almost always the establishment of another. Francois de La Rochefoucauld birthpassionheart The duration of our passions is no more dependent on ourselves than the duration of our lives. Francois de La Rochefoucauld dependentdurationpassion Solemnity is a device of the body to hide the faults of the mind. Francois de La Rochefoucauld faultsbodymind We often pride ourselves on even the most criminal passions, but envy is a timid and shamefaced passion we never dare to acknowledge. Francois de La Rochefoucauld envypassionpride There are reproaches which praise, and praises which defame. Francois de La Rochefoucauld reproachpraise Ridicule dishonours more than dishonour. Francois de La Rochefoucauld dishonourridicule There is merit without rank, but there is no rank without some merit. Francois de La Rochefoucauld merit It is difficult to like those whom we do not esteem; but it is no less so to like those whom we esteem more than ourselves. Francois de La Rochefoucauld self-respectdifficultrespect The only security is courage. Francois de La Rochefoucauld security
