Best 164 quotes of Luc De Clapiers on MyQuotes

Action makes more fortune than caution.

Activity makes more men's fortunes than cautiousness.

All men are born truthful and die liars.

A liar is a man who does now know how to deceive, a flatterer one who only deceives fools: he who knows how to make skilful use of the truth, and understands its eloquence, can alone pride himself in cleverness.

All erroneous ideas would perish of their own accord if given clear expression.

All grand thoughts come from the heart.

All that causes one man to differ from another is a very slight thing. What is it that is the origin of beauty or ugliness, health or weakness, ability or stupidity? A slight difference in the organs, a little more or a little less bile. Yet this more or less is of infinite importance to men; and when they think otherwise they are mistaken.

All that is unfair, offends us if it's not beneficial for us

A man who love only himself and his pleasures is vain, presumptuous, and wicked even from principle.

And where, on earth, dwell hope and truth? In childhood's uncorrupted heart; Alas! too soon to guileless youth The world doth its dark code impart!

A new principle is an inexhaustible source of new views.

As a house implies a builder, and a garment a weaver, and a door a carpenter, so does the existence of the Universe imply a Creator.

As it is natural to believe many things without proof, so, despite all proof, is it natural to disbelieve others.

As soon as an opinion becomes common it is sufficient reason for men to abandon it and to uphold the opposite opinion until that in its turn grows old, and they require to distinguish themselves by other things. Thus if they attain their goal in some art or science, we must expect them soon to cast it aside to acquire some fresh fame, and this is partly the reason why the most splendid ages degenerate so quickly, and, scarcely emerged from barbarism, plunge into it again.

Children are taught to fear and obey; the avarice, pride, or timidity of parents teaches children economy, arrogance, or submission. They are also encouraged to be imitators, a course to which they are already only too much inclined. No one thinks of making them original, courageous, independent.

Clarity is the counterbalance of profound thoughts.

Commerce is the school of cheating.

Conscience, the organ of feeling which dominates us and of the opinions which rule us, is presumptuous in the strong, timid in the weak and unfortunate, uneasy in the undecided.

Consciousness of our strength increases it.

Consciousness of our powers augments them.

Courage is adversity's lamp.

Despair exaggerates not only our misery but also our weakness.

Despair is the greatest of our errors.

Despair puts the last touch not only to our misery but also to our weakness.

Emotions have taught mankind to reason.

Everyone is born sincere and dies deceivers.

Excessive distrust is not less hurtfJul than its opposite. Most men become useless to him who is unwilling to risk being deceived.

Few men have depth enough to hear or tell the truth.

Few people are modest enough to be estimated at their true worth.

Fools do not understand men of intelligence.

Generosity gives assistance, rather than advice.

Give help rather than advice.

Glory fills the world with virtue, and, like a beneficent sun, covers the whole earth with flowers and with fruits.

Great men are sometimes so even in small things.

Great men in teaching weak men to reflect have set them on the road to error.

Great men, like nature, use simple language.

Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.

Hatred and dishonesty generally arises from fear of being deceived.

He who seeks fame by the practice of virtue asks only for what he deserves.

Hope animates the wise, and lures the presumptuous and indolent who repose inconsiderately on her promises.

Hope deceives more men than cunning does.

Hope is the only good thing that disillusion respects.

I do not approve the maxim which desires a man to know a little of everything. Superficial knowledge, knowledge without principles, is almost always useless and sometimes harmful knowledge.

If children had teachers for judgment and eloquence just as they have for languages, if their memory was exercised less than their energy or their natural genius, if instead of deadening their vivacity of mind we tried to elevate the free scope and impulse of their souls, what might not result from a fine disposition? As it is, we forget that courage, or love of truth and glory are the virtues that matter most in youth; and our one endeavour is to subdue our children's spirits, in order to teach them that dependence and suppleness are the first laws of success in life.

If a man is endowed with a noble and courageous soul, if he is painstaking, proud, ambitious, without meanness, of a profound a deep-seated intelligence, I dare assert that he lacks nothing to be neglected by the great and men in high office, who fear, more than other men, those whom they cannot dominate.

If anyone accuses me of contradicting myself, I shall reply; I have been wrong once or more often, however I do not aspire to be always wrong.

If it is true that vice can never be done away with, the science of government consists of making it contribute to the public good.

If our friends do us a service, we think they owe it to us by their title of friend. We never think that they do not owe us their friendship.

If people did not compliment one another there would be little society.

If virtue were its own reward, it would no longer be a human quality, but supernatural.