Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The defects of the mind, like those of the face, grow worse with age. ”

When we disclaim praise, it is only showing our desire to be praised a second time. ”

Old age is a tyrant, who forbids, under pain of death, the pleasures of youth. ”

On neither the sun, nor death, can a man look fixedly. ”

Neither the sun nor death can be looked at with a steady eye. ”

In all professions each affects a look and an exterior to appear what he wishes the world to believe that he is. Thus we may say that the whole world is made up of appearances. ”

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

Our actions seem to have their lucky and unlucky stars, to which a great part of that blame and that commendation is due which is given to the actions themselves. ”

We should often feel ashamed of our best actions if the world could see all the motives which produced them. ”