The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often prefer to criticize themselves rather than be ignored or remain silent.
This quote by Francois De La Rochefoucauld emphasizes the human desire for recognition and attention. It suggests that individuals would rather express negative opinions about themselves than be overlooked or not engaged in conversation at all, highlighting a fundamental need for social connection and validation.
Themes
Self-CriticismAttentionRecognitionCommunicationHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one might say, 'As Francois De La Rochefoucauld observed, we would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.'
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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I cannot remember much, I cannot feel much. Maybe erasure is necessary. Maybe the human spirit defends itself as the body does, attacking infection, enveloping and destroying those malignancies that would otherwise consume us.
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