A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

We easily forget our faults when they are known only to ourselves.
 
[Nous oublions aisément nos fautes lorsqu’elles ne sont sues que de nous.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶196 (1665-1678) [tr. Stevens (1939)]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶196 (1665-1678) [tr. Stevens (1939)] | WIST Quotations

We easily forget our faults when they are known only to ourselves. [Nous oublions aisément nos fautes lorsqu’elles ne sont sues que de nous.] Included in the 1st (1665) edition, reading "When we alone know of our crimes, they are soon forgotten [Quand il n’y a que nous qui savons…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

The reason we are not often wholly possessed by a single vice, is that we are distracted by several.
 
[Ce qui nous empêche souvent de nous abandonner à un seul vice est que nous en avons plusieurs.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶195 (1665-1678) [pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶442]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶195 (1665-1678) [pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶442] | WIST Quotations

The reason we are not often wholly possessed by a single vice, is that we are distracted by several. [Ce qui nous empêche souvent de nous abandonner à un seul vice est que nous en avons plusieurs.] Present in 1st (1665) edition. In the manuscript, the ending reads "est que…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

When our vices desert us, we flatter ourselves that we are deserting our vices.
 
[Quand les vices nous quittent, nous nous flattons de la créance que c’est nous qui les quittons.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶192 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶192 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)] | WIST Quotations

When our vices desert us, we flatter ourselves that we are deserting our vices. [Quand les vices nous quittent, nous nous flattons de la créance que c’est nous qui les quittons.] Present in the 1st (1665) edition. In that version and the manuscript, the latter part read "... nous voulons…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

Few men are sufficiently discerning to appreciate all the evil they do.
 
[Il n’y a guère d’homme assez habile pour connoître tout le mal qu’il fait.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶269 (1665-1678) [tr. Tancock (1959), ¶269]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶269 (1665-1678) [tr. Tancock (1959), ¶269] | WIST Quotations

Few men are sufficiently discerning to appreciate all the evil they do. [Il n’y a guère d’homme assez habile pour connoître tout le mal qu’il fait.] First appeared in the 2nd (1666) edition. In manuscript, it reads "... assez pénétrant pour apercevoir tout le mal qu’il fait." (Source (French)). Other…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

We are stubborn because we are narrow-minded; it is hard to believe what is beyond the scope of our vision.
 
[La petitesse de l’esprit fait l’opiniâtreté, et nous ne croyons pas aisément ce qui est au delà de ce que nous voyons.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶265 (1665-1678) [tr. Heard (1917), ¶273]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶265 (1665-1678) [tr. Heard (1917), ¶273] | WIST Quotations

We are stubborn because we are narrow-minded; it is hard to believe what is beyond the scope of our vision. [La petitesse de l’esprit fait l’opiniâtreté, et nous ne croyons pas aisément ce qui est au delà de ce que nous voyons.] This maxim was in the 1st (1665) edition…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

Self-interest will set all sorts of virtues and vices in motion.
 
[L’intérêt met en œuvre toutes sortes de vertus et de vices.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶253 (1665-1678) [tr. FitzGibbon (1957)]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶253 (1665-1678) [tr. FitzGibbon (1957)] | WIST Quotations

Self-interest will set all sorts of virtues and vices in motion. [L’intérêt met en œuvre toutes sortes de vertus et de vices.] Present in the 1st (1665) edition. In the manuscript form it reads "L’intérêt donne toutes sortes de vertus et de vices." See also ¶¶ 171, 305. (Source (French)).…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could do us no harm.
 
[Si nous ne nous flattions point nous-mêmes, la flatterie des autres ne nous pourroit nuire.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶152 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶152 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)] | WIST Quotations

If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could do us no harm. [Si nous ne nous flattions point nous-mêmes, la flatterie des autres ne nous pourroit nuire.] Present in the 1st (1665) edition, where it ended with "... ne nous feroit jamais de mal." See also maxim…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

We try to make virtues of the faults we do not wish to correct.
 
[Nous essayons de nous faire honneur des défauts que nous ne voulons pas corriger.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶442 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶442 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)] | WIST Quotations

We try to make virtues of the faults we do not wish to correct. [Nous essayons de nous faire honneur des défauts que nous ne voulons pas corriger.] First appeared in the 5th (1678) edition. (Source (French)). Other translations: We attempt to Vindicate, and value our selves upon those Faults…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

True eloquence consists in saying all that need be said and no more.
 
[La véritable éloquence consiste à dire tout ce qu’il faut, et à ne dire que ce qu’il faut.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶250 (1665-1678) [tr. FitzGibbon (1957)]

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La Rochefoucauld, Francois - Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶250 (1665-1678) [tr. FitzGibbon (1957)] | WIST Quotations

True eloquence consists in saying all that need be said and no more. [La véritable éloquence consiste à dire tout ce qu’il faut, et à ne dire que ce qu’il faut.] Present in the 1st (1665) edition. In manuscript it begins "L’éloquence est de ne dire que ce qu’il faut…

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A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

Our readiness to think ill of people without sufficiently examining the matter is based on laziness and pride. We want to find people guilty, we don’t want the bother of studying their crimes.
 
[La promptitude à croire le mal, sans l’avoir assez examiné, est un effet de l’orgueil et de la paresse: on veut trouver des coupables, et on ne veut pas se donner la peine d’examiner les crimes.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶267 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)]

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