On why I don't trust democracy without extremely powerful systems of accountability and recall What seems to be generosity is often only disguised ambition - which despises small interests to gain great ones.
Francois de La RochefoucauldThe force we use on ourselves, to prevent ourselves from loving, is often more cruel than the severest treatment at the hands of one loved.
Francois de La RochefoucauldWe may sooner be brought to love them that hate us, than them that love us more than we would have them do.
Francois de La RochefoucauldPenetration has an air of divination; it pleases our vanity more than any other quality of the mind.
Francois de La RochefoucauldWe often see malefactors, when they are led to execution, put on resolution and a contempt of death which, in truth, is nothing else but fearing to look it in the face--so that this pretended bravery may very truly be said to do the same good office to their mind that the blindfold does to their eyes.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld