Duc de La Rochefoucauld

What men have given the name of friendship to is nothing but an alliance, a reciprocal accommodation of interest, an exchange of good offices; in it is nothing but a system of traffic, in which self-love always proposes to itself some advantage.

It is a common fault to never be satisfied with our fortune, nor dissatisfied with our understanding.

The true means of being misled is to believe oneself finer than the others.

It is easier to be wise for others than for ourselves.

Few things are needed to make a wise man happy; nothing can make a fool content.

Deprived of the company of fools, a great wit does not seem half so clever.

There are very few people who are not ashamed of having been in love when they no longer love each other.

When not prompted by vanity, we say little.

Vanity makes us do more things against inclination than reason.

It is to be a truly virtuous man to wish to be always exposed to the view of virtuous people.