Jean de La Fontaine Quotes


"We read on the foreheads of those who are surrounded by a foolish luxury, that fortune sells what she is thought to give."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Thought, Fortune, Luxury)

"We must laugh before we are happy, for fear we die before we laugh at all."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Fear)

"We like to see others, but don't like others to see through us."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"There is nothing useless to men of sense."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Men, Nothing, Sense)

"There is no road of flowers leading to glory."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Flowers, Glory, Leading, Road)

"The strongest passion is fear."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Fear, Passion)

"The fastidious are unfortunate; nothing satisfies them."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Nothing)

"Rather suffer than die is man's motto."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Man)

"A pessimist and an optimist, so much the worse; so much the better."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Destiny, Road)

"A hungry stomach cannot hear."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"The argument of the strongest is always the best."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Argument)

"Nothing is as dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is to be preferred."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Friend, Enemy, Nothing)

"It is a double pleasure to deceive the deceiver."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Pleasure)

"It is impossible to please all the world and one's father."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Father, World)

"It is twice the pleasure to deceive the deceiver."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Pleasure)

"Let ignorance talk as it will, learning has its value."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Ignorance, Learning, Talk, Value, Will)

"Luck's always to blame."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Blame, Luck)

"Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Soul, Man)

"In short, Luck's always to blame."
- Jean De La Fontaine
(Related: Blame, Luck)

"Never sell the bear's skin before one has killed the beast."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Skin)

"Patience and time do more than strength or passion."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Time, Strength, Passion, Patience)

"Nothing is more dangerous than a friend without discretion; even a prudent enemy is preferable."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Friend, Discretion, Enemy, Nothing)

"One often has need of one, inferior to himself."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"One returns to the place one came from."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"People must help one another; it is nature's law."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Nature, People, Help, Law)

"Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Friendship, Love)

"People who make no noise are dangerous."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: People)

"Neither wealth or greatness render us happy."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Greatness, Wealth)

"Be advised that all flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"I bend and do not break."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Love, Power, Truth, People, Virtue, Abuse, Will)

"Better a living beggar than a buried emperor."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Living)

"Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Men, Appearance)

"But the shortest works are always the best."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"By the work one knows the workman."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Work)

"Death never takes the wise man by surprise, he is always ready to go."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Death, Man)

"Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him."
- Jean de La Fontaine
"Every journalist owes tribute to the evil one."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Evil, Tribute)

"Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Fear, Desire)

"Everyone calls himself a friend, but only a fool relies on it; nothing is commoner than the name, nothing rarer than the thing."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Friend, Fool, Name, Nothing)

"Everyone has his faults which he continually repeats: neither fear nor shame can cure them."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Fear, Cure, Faults, Shame)

"Help thyself and Heaven will help thee."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Heaven, Help, Will)

"Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which increases with the setting sun of life."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Friendship, Life, Evening, Shadow, Sun)

"Dressed in the lion's skin, the ass spread terror far and wide."
- Jean de La Fontaine
(Related: Skin, Terror)