Rochefoucauld, François, Duc de La

"We would often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood all the motives which produced them."

"Cunning and treachery are the offspring of incapacity."

"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and nothing but what is necessary."

"Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy."

"It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them."

"Plenty of people wish to become devout, but no one wishes to be humble."

"In jealousy there is more of self-love than love."

"As it is the characteristic of great wits to say much in few words, so it is of small wits to talk much and say nothing."

"Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undeceived by them."

"There may be good, but there are no pleasant marriages."

"The world more often rewards the appearances of merit than merit itself."

"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."

"Philosophy triumphs easily over past and future evils; but present evils triumph over it."

"The virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea."

"Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised."

"It is a great ability to be able to conceal one's ability." - Maxims

"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind blows out candles and fans fire." - Maxims

"Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side." - Maxims

"We often forgive those who bore us, but never those whom we bore." - Maxims

"A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and the one that we take the least care of all to acquire." - Maxims

"We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all." - Maxims

"Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers." - Maxims