The blindness of men is the most dangerous effect of their pride; it seems to nourish and augment it; it deprives them of knowledge of remedies which can solace their miseries and can cure their faults.
We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.
Intrepidity is an extraordinary strength of soul, which raises it above the troubles, disorders and emotions which the sight of great perils can arouse in it; by this strength heroes maintain a calm aspect and preserve their reason and liberty in the most surprising and terrible accidents.
The generality of men have, like plants, latent properties, which chance brings to light.
Clemency, which we make a virtue of, proceeds sometimes from vanity, sometimes from indolence, often from fear, and almost always from a mixture of all three.
We can be more clever than one, but not more clever than all.
Confidence always pleases those who receive it. It is a tribute we pay to their merit, a deposit we commit to their trust, a pledge that gives them a claim upon us, a kind of dependence to which we voluntarily submit.
Confidence in conversation has a greater share than wit.
He is safe who admits no one to his confidence.
Whatever distrust we may have of the sincerity of those who converse with us, we always believe they will tell us more truth than they do to others.
The constancy of the wise is only the art of keeping disquietude to one’s self.
None but the contemptible are apprehensive of contempt.
Those only are despicable who fear to be despised.
It is given to few persons to keep this secret well. Those who lay down rules too often break them, and the safest we are able to give is to listen much, to speak little, and to say nothing that that will ever give ground or regret.
All women seem by nature to be coquettes.
Women find it far more difficult to overcome their inclination to coquetry than to overcome their love.
For the credit of virtue we must admit that the greatest misfortunes of men are those into which they fall through their crimes.
Those who are overreached by our cunning are far from appearing to us as ridiculous as we appear to ourselves when the cunning of others has overreached us.
Were we perfectly acquainted with the object, we should never passionately desire it.
Esteem never makes ingrates.