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Truth does not do so much good in the world, as the appearance of it does evil.

— François de La Rochefoucauld

La vérité ne fait pas tant de bien dans le monde, que ses apparences y font de mal.

Original text (French)

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More quotes by François de La Rochefoucauld

To succeed in the world we do everything we can to appear successful already.

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665)

We hardly find any persons of good sense save those who agree with us.

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665)

We all have strength enough to endure the misfortunes of others.

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665)

One must listen if one wishes to be listened to.

The art of being able to make a good use of moderate abilities wins esteem and often confers more reputation than real merit.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: François de La Rochefoucauld (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.