The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Timidity is a fault for which it is dangerous to reprove persons whom we wish to correct of it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Timidity can be a hindrance to personal growth, and it's challenging to correct this trait without causing offense.
In this quote, Rochefoucauld highlights that timidity is a personal flaw that prevents individuals from acting decisively and assertively. When attempting to guide or correct someone who is timid, one must tread carefully, as confronting them directly may lead to defensiveness or withdrawal rather than improvement. This suggests that the approach to addressing timidity should be sensitive and supportive rather than harsh or overly critical.
Themes
TimidityCourageCorrectionGrowthApproach
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming personal challenges.
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
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