There is a form of eminence which does not depend on fate; it is an air which sets us apart and seems to prtend great things; it is the value which we unconsciously attach to ourselves; it is the quality which wins us deference of others; more than birth, position, or ability, it gives us ascendance.
Francois de La RochefoucauldNo accidents are so unlucky [bad] but that the wise may draw some advantage [good] from them.
Francois de La RochefoucauldSometimes there is equal or more ability in knowing how to use good advice than there is in giving it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld