The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
In the human heart one generation of passions follows another; from the ashes of one springs the spark of the next.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human emotions and passions are cyclical and constantly evolving, with new feelings emerging from the remnants of previous ones.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld's quote suggests that human feelings are not static; instead, they transition from one generation to the next. Each emotional experience leaves behind remnants that nurture the growth of new passions, indicating the dynamic and interconnected nature of our emotional lives. This cyclical process reflects both the resilience of human emotions and the continuity of our experiences as we navigate through various phases of life.
Themes
EmotionsPassionsHuman ExperienceCyclesGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about resilience, one might quote this to illustrate how overcoming past difficulties can lead to new strengths.
More from Francois De La Rochefoucauld
All quotes βOld men delight in giving good advice as a consolation for the fact that they can no longer set bad examples.
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Some counterfeits reproduce so very well the truth that it would be a flaw of judgment not to be deceived by them.
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Conceit causes more conversation than wit.
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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.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
To understand matters rightly we should understand their details; and as that knowledge is almost infinite, our knowledge is always superficial and imperfect.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
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Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again.
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Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.
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Fame is but the breath of people, and that often unwholesome.
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Being alone has a power over me that never fails. My interior dissolves (for the time being only superficially) and is ready to release what lies deeper. When I am willfully alone, a slight ordering of my interior begins to take place and I need nothing more.
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