The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Most people know no other way of judging men's worth but by the vogue they are in, or the fortunes they have met with.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often evaluate others based on their popularity and success instead of their true character or abilities.
This quote suggests that society tends to value individuals based on their external achievements and social status rather than their intrinsic qualities. It critiques the superficiality of social judgment, highlighting how people's worth is often misconstrued by the prevailing trends and fortunes, rather than a deeper understanding of their character or contributions. Rochefoucauld invites us to reconsider how we assess the value of others and to look beyond mere appearances.
Themes
JudgmentWorthSocietySuccessSuperficialityCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on social values, one might quote this to encourage deeper understanding of personal worth.
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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