I always do the first line well, but I have trouble doing the others.
MoliereRead
Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hypocrisy is commonly accepted in society, often mistaken for virtue.
This quote by Moliere suggests that hypocrisy, which is the act of claiming to have moral standards that one does not actually possess, is often embraced in society as if it were a positive trait. It highlights the irony of how society often accepts and even glorifies behavior that contradicts true virtue, suggesting that what is deemed 'fashionable' can mask the reality of moral character.
Themes
HypocrisyViceVirtueSocietyMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethical standards in business, one might quote Moliere's observation on hypocrisy.
More from Moliere
All quotes →Beauty without intelligence is like a hook without bait.
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Betrayed and wronged in everything, I’ll flee this bitter world where vice is king, And seek some spot unpeopled and apart Where I’ll be free to have an honest heart. - Molière, The Misanthrope
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Long is the road from conception to completion.
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Oh, I may be devout, but I am human all the same.
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How easy love makes fools of us.
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