We are strong enough to bear the misfortunes of others.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We are very far from always knowing our own wishes.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We come altogether fresh and raw into the several stages of life, and often find ourselves without experience, despite our years.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We do not praise others, ordinarily, but in order to be praised ourselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We easily forgive our friends those faults that do no affect us ourselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We get so much in the habit of wearing disguises before others that we finally appear disguised before ourselves.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We give advice, but we cannot give the wisdom to profit by it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We have no patience with other people's vanity because it is offensive to our own.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We may seem great in an employment below our worth, but we very often look little in one that is too big for us.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We may sooner be brought to love them that hate us, than them that love us more than we would have them do.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We often forgive those who bore us, but we cannot forgive those whom we bore.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We often pardon those that annoy us, but we cannot pardon those we annoy.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We only acknowledge small faults in order to make it appear that we are free from great ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We only confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no big ones.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We pardon to the extent that we love.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We promise in proportion to our hopes, and we deliver in proportion to our fears.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

We say little, when vanity does not make us speak.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld