Painterly cushioned armchair facing a bare wooden chair across a crack in a grey floor.

Original artwork, not a still

Maxim 19

François de la Rochefoucauld

We have all sufficient strength to endure the misfortunes of others.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker makes a wry, cynical observation about human nature, noting that people are remarkably resilient and composed when it comes to enduring hardships that happen to someone else. It's a pointed jab at the gap between sympathy in words and the ease with which others' suffering is tolerated.

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