Luc de Clapiers Quotes
There are those who are so scrupulously afraid of doing wrong that they seldom venture to do anything.
Clapiers, Luc de. Introduction à la connaissance de l'esprit humain, suivie de Réflexions et maximes. Paris: Briasson, 1746.
The French culture makes failure painful for individuals as the perception of others is very negative. America, in contrast, is much more forgiving about failure with people getting second and third chances commonly. Failure is necessary for great success in almost everything significant in that no one can be perfect and success often depends on resiliency to failure along the way.
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).
