More from François de la Rochefoucauld
- Few men are sufficiently discerning to appreciate all the evil they do.
- Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue. Maxim 128
- Interest speaks all sorts of tongues, and plays all sorts of parts, even that of disinterestedness. Maxim 39
- Neither the sun nor death can be looked at with a steady eye. Maxim 26
- Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised. Maxim 19
- Philosophy triumphs easily over past evils and future evils; but present evils triumph over it. Maxim 22
Last reviewed 2026-07-06