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François de La Rochefoucauld

Quote of François de La Rochefoucauld - Moderation is caused by the fear...


Biography - François de La Rochefoucauld:

French moralist, author of maxims and memoirs.
Born: 1613 - Died: 1680
Period:
17th century
Place of birth: France
France

Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting the envy and contempt which those merit who are intoxicated with their good fortune; it is a vain display of our strength of mind, and in short the moderation of men at their greatest height is only a desire to appear greater than their fortune.


Note 

Note



Maxim 18


Source: Reflections, or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Wikisource - La Rochefoucauld - Œuvres (fr) 




Translation

Translation

(French, German)



French
La modération est une crainte de tomber dans l’envie et dans le mépris que méritent ceux qui s’enivrent de leur bonheur ; c’est une vaine ostentation de la force de notre esprit ; et enfin la modération des hommes dans leur plus haute élévation est un désir de paraître plus grands que leur fortune.

German
Die Mäßigung ist eine Art Furcht, dem Neid und der Verachtung zu verfallen, so jene auf sich ziehen, die sich vom Glück berauschen lassen; sie ist eine eitle Schaustellung unserer Geistesstärke; bei Männern endlich, die auf den Höhen des Lebens wandeln, ist sie der Wunsch, grösser zu erscheinen als ihr Glück.




See also 

See also...






Quotes

François de La Rochefoucauld also said...


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





There is no disguise which can long hide love where it exists, nor feign it where it does not.





If we had no pride we should not complain of that of others.





Philosophy triumphs easily over past evils and future evils; but present evils triumph over it.





Few people know how to be old.





We are never so happy or so unhappy as we suppose.












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