The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Jealousy is the greatest of all evils, and the one that arouses the least pity in the person who causes it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jealousy is a destructive emotion that often evokes little sympathy from those who inspire it.
This quote highlights the nature of jealousy as a deeply negative force, suggesting that it causes harm not only to the person experiencing it but also to those around them. Rochefoucauld points out that unlike other emotions that may elicit compassion or understanding, jealousy is perceived as the worst among them, indicating its isolating and corrosive effects on relationships and human interactions.
Themes
JealousyEmotionsRelationshipsNegativityEnvy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a discussion about toxic relationships to emphasize the dangers of jealousy.
More from Francois De La Rochefoucauld
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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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