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.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Some counterfeits reproduce so very well the truth that it would be a flaw of judgment not to be deceived by them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Conceit causes more conversation than wit.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
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
Similar quotes
Our Declaration of Independence was held sacred by all and thought to include all; but now, to aid in making the bondage of the Negro universal and eternal, it is assailed, sneered at, construed, hawked at, and torn, till, if its framers could rise from their graves, they could not at all recognize it.
Abraham LincolnRead
Who are you? You don't belong to the police?' 'I am better than the police,' said Poirot. He said it without conscious arrogance. It was, to him, a simple statement of fact.
Agatha ChristieRead
Just think how many thoughts a blanket smothers while one lies alone in bed, and how many unhappy dreams it keeps warm.
Franz KafkaRead
Any rainy summer morning, of course, has the seeds of gloomy alienation sown in. But a rainy summer morning far from home - when your personal clouds don't move but hang - can easily produce the feeling of the world as seen from the grave. This I know.
Richard FordRead
Really, I have to laugh because there was a whole set of stories that made me sound like the Dragon Lady, you know, 'tough this and tough that.' Then there is this business about 'gooey.' The bottom line is I am a pragmatic idealist.
Madeleine AlbrightRead
egregious. most people think that word means terrible or unheard of or unforgivable. it has a much more interesting story than that to tell. it means "outside the herd." imagine that - thousands of people, outside the herd.
Kurt VonnegutRead