The most violent passions sometimes leave us at rest, but vanity agitates us constantly.
Francois de La RochefoucauldNothing is more contagious than example, and no man does any exceeding good or exceeding ill but it spawns new deeds of the same kind. The good we imitate through emulation, the ill through the malignity of our nature, which shame keeps locked up, but example sets free.
Francois de La RochefoucauldChance corrects us of many faults that reason would not know how to correct.
Francois de La RochefoucauldThe height of ability in the least able consists in knowing how to submit to the good leadership of others.
Francois de La RochefoucauldThe hate of favourites is only a love of favour. The envy of NOT possessing it, consoles and softens its regrets by the contempt it evinces for those who possess it, and we refuse them our homage, not being able to detract from them what attracts that of the rest of the world.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld