Francois de La Rochefoucauld Latter Quotations

Praise is flattery, artful, hidden, delicate, which gratifies differently him who praises and him who is praised. The one takes it as the reward of merit, the other bestows it to show his impartiality and knowledge.

We sometimes imagine we hate flattery, but we only hate the way we are flattered.

Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.

Gallantry of mind consists in saying flattering things in an agreeable manner.

Flattery is a base coin which is current only through our vanity.

If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.

The gallantry of the mind consists in agreeable flattery.

If we never flattered ourselves we should have but scant pleasure.

Flattery is false money, which would not be current were it not for our vanity.