The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
We seldom find people ungrateful so long as it is thought we can serve them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People are often grateful as long as they believe they can benefit from someone else's help.
This quote by Francois De La Rochefoucauld highlights the idea that gratitude is often contingent on the expectation of continued assistance. It suggests that individuals tend to appreciate those who support them only when they perceive that there is potential for future benefits, revealing a conditional nature of human relationships and gratitude.
Themes
GratitudeRelationshipsSelfishnessServiceAppreciation
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about teamwork, one might say, 'Remember, we seldom find people ungrateful as long as it is thought we can serve them.'
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.
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To understand matters rightly we should understand their details; and as that knowledge is almost infinite, our knowledge is always superficial and imperfect.
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