Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A man's happiness or unhappiness depends as much on his temperament as on his destiny.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A man who finds no satisfaction in himself seeks for it in vain elsewhere.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A true friend is the greatest of all blessings and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Before we set our hearts too much upon anything let us examine how happy they are who already possess it.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Boredom ... causes us to neglect more duties than does interest.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Few people have the wisdom to prefer the criticism that would do them good, to the praise that deceives them.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Flattery is a kind of bad money, to which our vanity gives us currency.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Friendship is only a reciprocal conciliation of interests.

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld