Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Philosophy finds it an easy matter to vanquish past and future evils, but the present are commonly too hard for it.

In friendship as well as love, ignorance very often contributes more to our happiness than knowledge.

If we are to judge of love by its consequences, it more nearly resembles hatred than friendship.

What men have called friendship is only a social arrangement, a mutual adjustment of interests, an interchange of services given and received it is, in sum, simply a business from which those involve…

However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship.

A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.

One forgives to the degree that one loves.

Love can no more continue without a constant motion than fire can and when once you take hope and fear away, you take from it its very life and being.

Only the contemptible fear contempt.

Repentance is not so much remorse for what we have done as the fear of the consequences.

We come altogether fresh and raw into the several stages of life, and often find ourselves without experience, despite our years.

Though men are apt to flatter and exalt themselves with their great achievements, yet these are, in truth, very often owing not so much to design as chance.

Neither the sun nor death can be looked at with a steady eye.

Old age is a tyrant, who forbids, under pain of death, the pleasures of youth.

On neither the sun, nor death, can a man look fixedly.

Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.

Heat of blood makes young people change their inclinations often, and habit makes old ones keep to theirs a great while.

Taste may change, but inclination never.

Jealousy is bred in doubts. When those doubts change into certainties, then the passion either ceases or turns absolute madness.

What men have called friendship is only a social arrangement, a mutual adjustment of interests, an interchange of services given and received it is, in sum, simply a business from which those involve…

We should often blush for our very best actions, if the world did but see all the motives upon which they were done.

We should often feel ashamed of our best actions if the world could see all the motives which produced them.

In the misfortunes of our best friends we always find something not altogether displeasing to us.

Being a blockhead is sometimes the best security against being cheated by a man of wit.

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.