Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

Everyone takes pleasure in returning small obligations, many people acknowledge moderate ones; but there are only a scarce few who do not pay great ones with ingratitude.

Too great haste to repay an obligation is a kind of ingratitude.

Most people return small favors, acknowledge medium ones and repay greater ones - with ingratitude.

He is ungrateful who denies that he has received a kindness which has been bestowed upon him; he is ungrateful who conceals it; he is ungrateful who makes no return for it; most ungrateful of all is he who forgets it.

A man is perhaps ungrateful, but often less chargeable with ingratitude than his benefactor is.

Does not the gratitude of the dog put to shame any man who is ungrateful to his benefactors?

To remind a man of the good turns you have done him is very much like a reproach.

Be assured those will be thy worst enemies, not to whom thou hast done evil, but who have done evil to thee. And those will be thy best friends, not to whom thou hast done good, but who have done good to thee.

Great indebtedness does not make men grateful, but vengeful; and if a little charity is not forgotten, it turns into a gnawing worm.

He that has done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.

It is the nature of men to be bound by the benefits they confer as much as by those they receive.

You save my face this afternoon and I’ll save your face tomorrow.

In most of mankind gratitude is merely a secret hope of further favors.

A great many men's gratitude is nothing but a secret desire to hook in more valuable kindnesses hereafter.

Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure

It is no tragedy to do ungrateful people favors, but it is unbearable to be indebted to a scoundrel.

He who has conferred a benefit on anyone from motives of love or honor will feel pain, if he sees that the benefit is received without gratitude.

Men are never attached to you by favours.

Never let your inferiors do you a favor - it will be extremely costly.

It is good to be charitable; but to whom? That is the point. As to the ungrateful, there is not one who does not at last die miserable.

A man may be ungrateful, but the human race is not so.

People avenge themselves for the favors done them.

There is in every breast a sensibility to marks of honor, of favor, of esteem, and of confidence, which, apart from all considerations of interest, is some pledge for grateful and benevolent returns. Ingratitude is a common topic of declamation against human nature; and it must be confessed, that instances of it are but too infrequent and flagrant both in public and in private life. But the universal and extreme indignation which it inspires, is itself a proof of the energy and prevalence of the contrary sentiment.

Gentlemen, let us suppose that man is not stupid. (Indeed one cannot refuse to suppose that, if only from the one consideration, that, if man is stupid, then who is wise?) But if he is not stupid, he is monstrously ungrateful! Phenomenally ungrateful. In fact, I believe that the best definition of man is the ungrateful biped.

The nature of man is such that people consider themselves put under an obligation as much by the benefits they confer as by those they receive.