Variant translation: What makes lovers and their mistresses never weary of being together is that they are always talking about themselves. It is far safer and more honest to tell nothing than to be silent when we have begun to tell. One forgives to the degree that one loves. After that I guarantee that he will be the first to endorse them and he will believe that they do credit to the human spirit.[10]. Franois de La Rochefoucauld It is a great act of cleverness to be able to conceal one's being clever. We hope these 100 quotes gave you an insight into his wisdom and wit. A square keep was then constructed by . It is easier to know man in general than to know one man. A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and the one that we take the least care of all to acquire. inspirational quotes, motivational quotes Franois VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs. People by whom one must not be bored are almost always boring. Showing 31-60 of 425 "We have no patience with other people's vanity because it is offensive to our own." Francois de La Rochefoucauld 71 likes Like "We forgive so long as we love." Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld, Reflections or Sentences and Moral Maxims tags: forgiveness , love Variant translation: It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them. rev2023.8.21.43589. In 1635 the duchesse de Chevreuse had lured him into intrigues against Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister of Louis XIII, an adventure that only procured for La Rochefoucauld a humiliating interview with Richelieu, eight days of imprisonment in the Bastille, and two years of exile at Verteuil. If we conquer our passions, it is more from their weakness than from our strength. Gabrielle du Plessis-Liancourt (1595-1672), 7. Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side. There are good marriages, but there was none of delicious. The earliest I could find it in Google books is in this 1701 book which quotes it, and attributes it to La Rochefoucauld (16381680). One of the Men Who 'Set Europe Ablaze' - The New York Times See all related content . but I cannot find it in maxims or elsewhere. There is great skill in knowing how to conceal one's skill. La Rochefoucaulds legacy also extends to his impact on French culture and language. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Old men delight in giving good advice as a consolation for the fact that they can no longer provide bad examples. What book of Eugne Sue's 'The Mysteries of the People' inspired M. Joly's 'Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli & Montesquieu', as claimed by U. Eco? Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever. Why is the structure interrogative-which-word subject verb (including question mark) being used so often? This does more to set us above them than birth, honors, and merit itself. The fact that his chteau at Verteuil was demolished by the crown, apparently without notice, in 1650 throws light on a main cause of the series of revolts between 1648 and 1653 known as the Fronde: the distrust and fear felt by the monarchy for the local independence of the nobility. On Difference of Character 1.1.3 III. In the variety and subtlety of his arrangement of words he made the maxime into a jewel. Who lives without folly is not as wise as he thinks. Which is the real author? Franois VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, le Prince de Marcillac (September 15 1613 March 17 1680) was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs, as well as an example of the accomplished 17th-century nobleman. Franois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes - Buboquote Franois VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, also called (until 1650) Prince de Marcillac, (born September 15, 1613, Paris, Francedied March 16/17, 1680, Paris), French classical author who had been one of the most active rebels of the Fronde before he became the leading exponent of the maxime, a French literary form . love We always love those who admire us, but we do not always love those whom we admire. The care with which La Rochefoucauld kept notes and versions of his thoughts on the moral and intellectual subjects of the game is clear from the surviving manuscripts. Inspirational Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French Writer) - Inspirational Quotations. What makes us so bitter against people who outwit us is that they think themselves cleverer than we are. Although all the qualities of mind may be united in a great genius, yet there are some which are special and peculiar to him; his views are unlimited; he always acts uniformly and with the same activity; he sees distant objects as if present; he comprehends and grasps the greatest, sees and notices the smallest matters; his thoughts are elevated, broad, just and intelligible. As quoted in: The Concise Dictionary of Foreign Quotations (Taylor & Francis, 2001), p. 98. The pleasure of love is in the loving; and there is more joy in the passion one feels than in that which one inspires. But until the thinkers do and the doers think, progress will be just another word in the already overburdened vocabulary by sense., How can you expect another to keep a secret if we have been unable to keep it ourselves?, Everyone complains of his memory, and no one complains of his judgment., Neither the sun nor death can be looked at steadily., Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy those are who already possess it. The art of using moderate abilities to advantage wins praise, and often acquires more reputation than actual brilliancy. Each modification on this building in the past is a blatant showcase of the power of the family, both social and political. Variant translation: In all professions, each affects a part and an appearance to make him seem as he would wish to be believed. His exposure of the self-seeking that lay beneath conventional homage to morality has earned for him the reputation of a cynic, but his keener contemporaries are no less severe. Be the first to learn about new releases! Whatever care we take to heal them the scars ever remain, and there is always danger of their reopening. Self-interest speaks all sorts of tongues and plays all sorts of characters, even that of disinterestedness. We should observe the place, the occasion, the temper in which we find the person who listens to us, for if there is much art in speaking to the purpose, there is no less in knowing when to be silent. Our repentance is not so much sorrow for the ill we have done as a fear of the ill that may befall us. for at-a-glance information about availability. 1 True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen. So the list of 50 maxims seems to have been incorporated into editions of La Rochefoucauld's Maxims after his death, but it wasn't in editions published when he was alive (at least, it's not in this edition that Tsundoku found, which is a reproduction of the 1668 edition, and which the editor's note claims is the last one published before La Rochefoucauld died in 1680.). There are foolish people who recognize their foolishness and use it skillfully. What are the long metal things in stores that hold products that hang from them? Variant translation: Most people judge men only by their fashion or their fortune. We should not speak of all subjects in one tone and in the same manner. Franois de La Rochefoucauld > Quotes > Quotable Quote . He fought bravely in the annual campaigns, though his actions were never formally recognised. Until 1650, he bore the title of Prince de Marcillac. A man may be ungrateful but is less chargeable with ingratitude than his benefactor. However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship. It was feared that he would lose his sight, but he recovered after a year's convalescence. 54 French inspirational quotes: Proverbs to motivate & enjoy (with There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or feign it where it does not. We are sure to displease when we speak too long and too often of one subject, and when we try to turn the conversation upon subjects that we think more instructive than others, we should enter indifferently upon every subject that is agreeable to others, stopping where they wish, and avoiding all they do not agree with. Cest une grande folie de vouloir tre sage tout seul (It is great folly to seek to be wiseon ones own). Reader in French Literature, University of Oxford. Franois VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, also called (until 1650) Prince de Marcillac, (born September 15, 1613, Paris, Francedied March 16/17, 1680, Paris), French classical author who had been one of the most active rebels of the Fronde before he became the leading exponent of the maxime, a French literary form of epigram that expresses a harsh or paradoxical truth with brevity. Nobody deserves to be praised for goodness unless he is strong enough to be bad, for any other goodness is usually merely inertia or lack of will-power. [5], Somewhat earlier, La Rochefoucauld had taken his place in the salon of Madeleine de Souvr, marquise de Sabl, a member of the Marquise de Rambouillet cterie, and the founder of a kind of successor to it, whose special literary work was the writing of Sentences and Maximes. What we take for virtue is often nothing but an assemblage of different actions, and of different interests, that fortune or our industry knows how to arrange. Reading and intellectual conversation occupied his time as well as that of other men and women of a circle who listened to private readings of Pierre Corneilles classical tragedies and Nicolas Boileaus didactic poem on the principles of poetic composition, LArt potique. As we age, we become more foolish and wiser. A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice. The heart is forever making the head its fool. Albert Einstein Believe in yourself! 100 Quotes by Franois de La Rochefoucauld - OverDrive (Such is the picture of self-love, of which all life is one continuous and immense ferment. Variant translation: The passions are the only orators who always persuade. This work went unchallenged for more than a century. Eloquence resides as much in the tone of voice, in the eyes, and in the expression of the face, as in the choice of words. "If we are incapable of finding peace in ourselves, it is pointless to search elsewhere.". Yet his chief glory perhaps is not as thinker but as artist. (Virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea. How to make a vessel appear half filled with stones. Franois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes - Buboquote What is the origin of this quote about God, Flies, and Spiders? Self-interest speaks all sorts of tongues and plays all sorts of characters, even that of disinterestedness. [4] Belonging to one of the most illustrious families of the French nobility, the young La Rochefoucauld, then prince of Marcillac, succeeded at the age of 16 (1 May 1629) to his uncle Benjamin de La Rochefoucauld, count of Estissac, as camp master of the Estissac regiment. 100 Fascinating Francois de la Rochefoucauld Quotes - Catalyst It is said that his world-view was clear-eyed and urbane and that he neither condemned human conduct nor sentimentally celebrated it. Fascinating exchange on this topic here (in French): Is this Franois de La Rochefoucauld's quote authentic? Top 30 FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD quotes and sayings - Inspiring Quotes I have a large mouth, lips generally red enough, neither shaped well nor badly. He handles paradox to such effect that a final word can reverse the rest: On ne donne rien si libralement que ses conseils (We give nothing so generously asadvice). Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. Franois VI, duke de La Rochefoucauld summary, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francois-VI-duke-de-La-Rochefoucauld, Franois de La Rochefoucauld - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Variant translation: There are very few people who are not ashamed to have loved when they no longer do. How far toward treason he allowed himself to be led, when the intentions of the reforming princes and nobility were superseded by personal ambitions, is shown by the draft of the so-called Treaty of Madrid of 1651, which laid down conditions of Spanish help to the French nobility. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. And a great question. Charles du Plessis-Liancourt (1551-1620), 26. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes from BrainyQuote.com "The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again." There is only one kind of love, but there are a thousand imitations. Maxims by Franois de La Rochefoucauld | Goodreads I can't think of a greater aphorist. There are very few people who are not ashamed to be loved when they no longer do. Jealousy contains more of self-love than of love. Achievement of arms of the Dukes de La Rochefoucauld. The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again. "To fill the pot to its top", would be properly describe what I mean to say? Inspirational Quotes by Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French Writer I would have been shocked if it hadn't been authentic. We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others, that in the end, we become disguised to ourselves. La Rochefoucauld did not return to court life until just before Mazarin's death, when Louis XIV was about to assume absolute power, and the aristocratic anarchy of the Fronde was over. Our virtues are most frequently but vices in disguise. These insights also accounted for his fame and influence on his disciples: in England Lord Chesterfield, the orator and man of letters, and the novelist and poet Thomas Hardy; in Germany the philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and Georg Christoph Lichtenberg; in France the writers and critics Stendhal, Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, and Andr Gide. 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 (1613-1680) was a French writer and moralist best known for his collection of maxims and reflections on human nature and society. In England, John Dryden, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift produced some of the most memorable epigrams of their time. In the misfortune of our best friends we often find something that is not displeasing. Though he did a considerable amount of writing over the years, La Rochefoucauld actually published only two works, the Mmoires and the Maximes. At the age of seventeen he joined the army, and fought bravely in several campaigns over the years. Few men, nevertheless, can have unison in many matters without being a copy of each other, if each follow his natural turn of mind. In conclusion, this maxim is by one of two 17th century writers, and was attributed to both of them in posthumous collections of their work in the 18th century. We should make it a rule never to have half confidences. Variant translation: Passion often makes a fool of the cleverest man and often makes the most foolish men clever. It always pleases when it is refined, but we always fear those who use it too much. His son, the Prince de Marcillac, to whom he gave his titles and honors in 1671, enjoyed a considerable position at court. Is it grammatical? Some epigrams show a respect for the power of indolence, and others reveal an almost Nietzschean respect for strength. He wrote his memoirs during this time, as did many of his prominent contemporaries. -, 100 Quotes by Franois de La Rochefoucauld. The public lives of both father and son were conditioned by the policies of Louis XIVs government, which by turns threatened and flattered the nobility. Neither the sun nor death can be looked at steadily. Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors. We do not march at the head of a regiment as we walk on a promenade; and we should use the same style in which we should naturally speak of different things in the same way, with the same difference as we should walk, but always naturally, and as is suitable, either at the head of a regiment or on a promenade. Lovers never get tired of each other, because they are always talking about themselves. Chteau de la Rochefoucauld - Historic French Castle - L'Age Baston Find the best quotes, maxims and aphorisms of: Franois de La Rochefoucauld Biography : French moralist, author of maxims and memoirs. He used the occasion of his father's funeral in 1650 to urge the attending provincial nobility to help him attack the royalist garrison of Saumur. His influence on the French language can still be seen today, as many of his phrases and expressions have become common idioms in modern French. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Perfect behavior is born of complete indifference. World War II's Most Daring French Saboteur: How He Did It | Time Finding the source of this quote about prediction and lying, LSZ Reduction formula: Peskin and Schroeder. Yes, looked authentic, but I am always checking for sources just in case. Every one speaks well of his heart, but no one dares to speak well of his mind. This quote can be found in many places on the internet, most often attributed to La Rochefoucauld, but sometimes to the Abb de Saint-Ral. Quarrels would not last long if the fault was only on one side. 1 If you've read the maxims (and I urge you to! They are like a natural art, of which the rules are unfailing; and the simplest man who has passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent man who has none. One is never so happy or so unhappy as one fancies. Contents 1 Quotes 1.1 Reflections on Various Subjects (1665-1678) 1.1.1 I. Old people love to give good advice; it compensates them for their inability to set a bad example. It is easier to seem worthy of positions one does not have than of those one does. La Rochefoucauld: Maxims Faults and Weaknesses We confess to little faults only to persuade others that we have no great ones. Most people judge men only by success or by fortune. Franois VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld: Quotes | Britannica Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue. Some people's faults are becoming to them; others are disgraced by their own good traits. Thousands of people with good qualities are displeasing; thousands pleasing with far less abilities, and why? It is harder to hide the feelings we have than to feign the ones we do not have. I am rather embarrassed in talking of my nose, for it is neither flat nor aquiline, nor large; nor pointed: but I believe, as far as I can say, it is too large than too small, and comes down just a trifle too low. It is usual now to publish them in their totality of 504. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. '100 Quotes by Franois de La Rochefoucauld' now allows readers to peek behind the scenes at one of France's most notable figures to date. Variant translation: With true love it's like with the appearance of ghosts: everyone talks about it but few have seen it. In the adversity of our best friends we often find something that is not exactly displeasing. This quote actually is much more inspiring in French, because " pouvoir " means "to be able", but it also means "having power". La Rochefoucauld: Maxims Flirtation and Romance The greatest miracle of love is the cure of coquetry. True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen. Another one of my favorite aphoristic writers was a contemporary of Gracin: French nobleman Francois de La Rochefoucauld. If we judge love by the majority of its results, it resembles hatred more than friendship. Antoinette de Pons-Ribrac (c.1560-1632), 15. high cpu usage by a firefox subprocess called RDD Process, TV show from 70s or 80s where jets join together to make giant robot. They shed an uncertain light on what we want hidden, increase curiosity, entitling the recipients to know more, giving them leave to consider themselves free to talk of what they have guessed. La Rochefoucauld not only signed the treaty but is thought by one scholar to have drafted it. His exploration of human nature and the complexities of human motivation helped to pave the way for the development of modern psychology and the study of human behavior. Francois de La Rochefoucauld Share this Top 10 list Neither the sun nor death can be looked at steadily. His maxims continue to be studied and analyzed by psychologists and other scholars who seek to better understand the mysteries of the human psyche. Shop Now: Vouloir c'est Pouvoir | Printable Poster Yes, you can do anything you put your mind to. @PatrickT I am reading them actually. All men want to be different, and to be greater than they are; they seek for an air other than their own, and a mind different from what they possess; they take their style and manner at chance. Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example. There is an air which belongs to the figure and talents of each individual; we always lose it when we abandon it to assume another. If we have not peace within ourselves, it is in vain to seek it from outward sources. Although his fortune had been much reduced, in time he was able to restore it somewhat, thanks chiefly to the fidelity of Gourville, who had been in his service and who, passing into the service of Mazarin and of Cond, had acquired both wealth and influence. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. We always love those who admire us, but we do not always love those whom we admire. Descended from the ancient Dukes of Guienne, the founder of the Family Fulk or Foucauld, a younger branch of the House of Lusignan, was at the . Francois de La Rochefoucauld was a French writer and moralist who lived in the 17th century. The Fronde was to La Rochefoucauld one of those moments of history that seemed to reveal mens motives at their worst. Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing before all the world. @PatrickT: I'm going to agree that it's very likely La Rochefoucauld wrote that list of fifty maxims, and it was incorporated by mistake into Saint-Ral's collected works after his death, but I don't see that there's any definitive proof of this that would hold up in a court of law. It is difficult to define love. Silvia Pico della Mirandola (1530-1557), 20. All these insights seem common to the French classical school of which he is so brilliant a memberthough as an aristocrat he disdained being called a writer. They make experiments upon themselves without considering that what suits one person will not suit everyone, that there is no universal rule for taste or manners, and that there are no good copies. No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong. Nothing escapes his observation, and he often finds truth in spite of the obscurity that hides her from others. Later his hatred for Mazarin and his devotion to Anne de Bourbon, duchesse de Longueville, sister of the Great Cond, who was the leader of the Fronde, led to an even more disastrous outcome. The editions of La Rochefoucauld's Maximes (as the full title runs, Rflexions ou sentences et maximes morales) published in his lifetime bear the dates 1665 (editio princeps), 1666, 1671, 1675,[13] 1678. Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613 - 1680) was a French author. We try to make virtues out of the faults we have no wish to correct. Moderation has been called a virtue to limit the ambition of great men, and to console undistinguished people for their want of fortune and their lack of merit. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? In 1662, the Dutch firm House of Elzevir surreptitiously published what purported to be his memoirs, which brought him both trouble and fame. One must not just have great qualities, but also economize them. He was a conspicuous figure in the 1649 siege of Paris, fought in many of the frequent military engagements, and was seriously wounded at the siege of Mardyke.[5]. The truest way to be deceived is to think oneself smarter than others. But in general a person will not wholly follow it. Within six years he was wounded in no fewer than three engagements. True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen. In the adversity of our best friends we often find something that is not exactly displeasing. People would never fall in love if they hadnt heard love talked about. Variant translation: It is not enough to have great qualities; one must also make use of them sparingly. It is useless to have youth without beauty, or beauty without youth. Variant translation: Gratitude is the lively expectation of favours yet to come. La Rochefoucaulds legacy is multifaceted and encompasses his literary contributions, influence on French culture and language, and impact on studying human psychology and behavior. Literature Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for scholars and enthusiasts of literature. Those who have had great passions are happy all their lives and would be unhappy to have been cured of them. Norman Vincent Peale franceculture.fr/emissions/concordance-des-temps/, Moderation strike: Results of negotiations, Our Design Vision for Stack Overflow and the Stack Exchange network, JulyAugust 2023 topic challenge: the works of Jamaica Kincaid. Franois XII de La Rochefoucauld. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Aime Martin, editor. I bet you I don't know ten souls who read him without a middleman. We should avoid far-fetched expressions, expressions hard or forced, and never let the words be grander than the matter. Variant translation: What makes us believe so easily that others have faults is the ease with which we believe what we hope for. La Rochefoucauld was the son of Franois, comte de La Rochefoucauld, and his wife, Gabrielle du Plessis-Liancourt. When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere. There are some people who would never have fallen in love if they had not heard there was such a thing. No one has ever taken the trouble to stretch and carry his understanding as far as it could go. [11], On 20 January 1628, at Mirebeau-sur-Bze, he married Andre de Vivonne (1612-1670) only daughter and heiress of Andr de Vivonne, Baron of la Chataigneraie, Grand Falconer of France and Marie Antoinette de Lomnie[12]. about OverDrive accounts. La Rochefoucauld reflects on the conduct and motives of mankind, from the point of view of a man of the world who intends not to sugar-coat his observations. Indeed. Ce que les hommes ont nomm amiti n'est qu'une socit, qu'un mnagement rciproque d'intrts, et qu'un change de bons offices; ce n'est enfin qu'un commerce o l'amour-propre se propose toujours quelque chose gagner. I have just looked at myself in the glass to ascertain the fact, and I do not know how to decide. When we differ, then I pronounce him to be mistaken.". Fortunate people seldom mend their ways, for when good luck crowns their misdeeds with success they think it is because they are right. ), Voil la peinture de lamour-propre, dont toute la vie nest quune grande et longue agitation; la mer en est une image sensible; et lamour-propre trouve dans le flux et reflux de ses vagues continuelles une fidle expression de la succession turbulente de ses penses et de ses ternels mouvements.
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