Luc de Clapiers Quotes
It cannot be a vice in men to be sensible of their strength.
Vauvenargues, Luc de Clapiers. Introduction à la connaissance de l'esprit humain, suivie de Réflexions et de Maximes. Antoine-Claude Briasson, 1746.
Many politicians and other leaders surprise even themselves by their strength or ability. Given the gender discrimination of the past, many female politicians concentrate on overcoming or correcting their weaknesses, but underestimating the strength, talent, and often the power that they have.
Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues was a French writer and moralist. He died at age 31, in broken health, having published the year prior—anonymously—a collection of essays and aphorisms with the encouragement of Voltaire, his friend. He first received public notice under his own name in 1797, and from 1857 on, his aphorisms became popular. In the history of French literature, his significance lies chiefly in his friendship with Voltaire (20 years his senior).
