Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

Humility is often only feigned submission which people use to render others submissive. It is a subterfuge of pride which lowers itself in order to rise.

Humility is often only the putting on of a submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them; it is a morecalculated sort of pride, which debases itself with a design of being exalted; and though this vice transform itself into a thousand several shapes, yet the disguise is never more effectual nor more capable of deceiving the world than when concealed under a form of humility.

Humility is often only a feigned submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them; it is a more calculated sort of pride.

The humility that cringes in order that reproof may be escaped or favor obtained is as unchristian as it is profoundly immoral.

Humility is often a false front we employ to gain power over others.

It is one of the triumphs of human wit ... to conquer by humility and submissiveness ... to make oneself small in order to appear great ... such ... are often the expedients of the neurotic.

My success has depended wholly on putting things over on people, so I'm not sure that I'm that great a role model. I am, however, an expert on pretending to be an expert on pretending to be an expert.

The demagogue is usually sly, a detractor of others, a professor of humility and disinterestedness, a great stickler for equality as respects all above him, a man who acts in corners, and avoids open and manly expositions of his course, calls blackguards gentlemen, and gentlemen folks, appeals to passions and prejudices rather than to reason, and is in all respects, a man of intrigue and deception, of sly cunning and management.

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

The art of pleasing is the art of deception.

Pride works frequently under a dense mask, and will often assume the garb of humility.

What hypocrites we seem to be whenever we talk of ourselves! Our words sound so humble, while our hearts are so proud.

It is of great consequences to disguise your inclination, and to play the hypocrite well.

Persons in high situations must particularly guard themselves against selfishness and vanity. An individual in a high and important situation will easily see a great many persons eager to please the first, and to flatter and encourage the last.

There's a breed of humility which is itself a species of showing off.

I don't like false modesty.

He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.

Pride is at the bottom of a great many errors and corruptions, and even of many evil practices, which have a great show and appearance of humility.

And thus I clothe my naked villainy With odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.

As pride sometimes is hid under humility, idleness if often covered by turbulence and hurry.

I'm afraid you've thought me a bigger fool than I am.

The reason we bitterly hate those who deceive us is because they think they are cleverer than we are.

A man may be humble through vainglory.

Social engineers veil themselves in a cloak of believability.