Francois de La Rochefoucauld Should Quotations

We should not be much concerned about faults we have the courage to own.

Before we passionately desire a thing, we should examine the happiness of its possessor.

True eloquence consists in saying all that should be said, and that only.

The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us.

To achieve greatness one should live as if they will never die.

There are few occasions when we should make a bad bargain by giving up the good on condition that no ill was said of us.

We should scarcely desire things ardently if we were perfectly acquainted with what we desire.

The extreme pleasure we take in speaking of ourselves should make us apprehensive that it gives hardly any to those who listen to us.

We should only affect compassion, and carefully avoid having any.

Nothing should lessen our satisfaction with ourselves as much as when we notice that we disapprove of something at one time that we approve of at another time.

The shame that arises from praise which we do not deserve often makes us do things we should otherwise never have attempted.

There are few things we should keenly desire if we really knew what we wanted.

We should often blush at our noblest deeds if the world were to see all their underlying motives.

We should not be upset that others hide the truth from us, when we hide it so often from ourselves.

The only thing that should astonish us is that anything can yet astonish us.

We acknowledge that we should not talk of our wives; but we seem not to know that we should talk still less of ourselves.

Truth is the foundation and the reason of the perfection of beauty, for of whatever stature a thing may be, it cannot be beautiful-and perfect, unless it be truly what it should be, and possess truly all that it should have.

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

Were we perfectly acquainted with the object, we should never passionately desire it.

Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner.