Francois De La Rochefoucauld

There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.

One forgives to the degree that one loves.

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

No accidents are so unlucky [bad] but that the wise may draw some advantage [good] from them.

We give advice, we do not inspire conduct.

Politeness of the mind is to have delicate thoughts

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.

We should only affect compassion, and carefully avoid having any.

True eloquence consists in saying all that should be said, and that only.

To establish oneself in the world, one does all one can to seem established there already.

We can never be certain of our courage until we have faced danger.

We are sometimes as different from ourselves as we are from others.

Novelty is to love like bloom to fruit; it gives a luster which is easily effaced, but never returns.

The art of using moderate abilities to advantage often brings greater results than actual brilliance

Youth is a perpetual intoxication; it is a fever of the mind.

There are few good women who do not tire of their role.

Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.

Minds of moderate caliber ordinarily condemn everthing which is beyond their range.

A true friend is the most precious of all possessions and the one we take the least thought about acquiring.

The intention of cheating no one lays us open to being cheated ourselves.

Preserving health by too severe a rule is a worrisome malady.