Jean de La Fontaine Quotes

Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst it pretends to bestow on you more than you deserve, it is watching an opportunity to take from you what you really have.

Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver.

All flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them.

A man who flatters a woman hopes either to find her a fool or to make her one.

The most that can be said of flattery is that it is sometimes a cheap psychological trick with which charlatans and dishonest people lull others into a state of carelessness while they pick their pockets.

No visor does become black villainy so well as soft and tender flattery.

Take care how you listen to the voice of the flatterer, who, in return for his little stock, expects to derive from you considerable advantage. If one day you do not comply with his wishes, be imputes to you two hundred defects instead of perfections.

He who cannot love must learn to flatter.

Flattery is often a traffic of mutual meanness, where although both parties intend deception, neither are deceived.

A flatterers throat is an open Sepulcher.

Although a skillful flatterer is a most delightful companion if you have him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complimenting other people.

Flattery is all right so long as you don't inhale.

There have been many great men that have flattered the people who ne'er loved them.

You know when someone's over-flattering you in a way. You smile but you can't believe it.

One may define flattery as a base companionship which is most advantageous to the flatterer.

FLATTERY is nothing, but false friendship, fawning hypocrisy, dishonest civility, base merchandise of words…

Flattery is no more than what raises in a man's mind an idea of a preference which he has not.

The same man cannot be both Friend and Flatterer.

A flatterer is a friend who is your inferior, or pretends to be so.

Men sometimes think they hate flattery, but they hate only the manner of flattering.

All flatterers are mercenary, and all low-minded men are flatterers.

A flatterer is the shadow of a fool.

Flattery is praise insincerely given for an interested purpose.

They do not abuse the king that flatter him. For flattery is the bellows blows up sin; The thing the which is flattered, but a spark To which that blast gives heat and stronger glowing.

Flattery is a juggler, and no kin unto sincerity.