L'interet parle toutes sortes de langues, et joue toutes sortes de personnages, meme celui de desinteresse.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Self-interest speaks every language and acts every role, including that of a selfless person.
- In plain terms
- Self-interest can pretend to be anything, even being selfless.
- What can you take from it?
- Self-interest often hides behind other motives.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who benefits from this?
- Is self-interest always bad?
Another view
People often act in self-interest while genuinely helping others.
More from Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Nous promettons selon nos esperances, et nous tenons selon nos craintes.
Permalink to quote #15 Ceux qui s'appliquent trop aux petites choses deviennent ordinairement incapables des grandes.
Permalink to quote #17 La jalousie se nourrit dans les doutes, et elle devient fureur, ou elle finit, sitot qu'on passe du doute a la certitude.
Permalink to quote #14
Related quotes
McMahon, I'm disgusted. Once again you've edited tapes to prove your point! You know, if you'd have been around when Nixon was in the White House, he'd still b…
Jesse VenturaJesse Ventura quote #75 Success is the important thing. Propaganda is not a matter for average minds, but rather a matter for practitioners. It is not supposed to be lovely or theoret…
Joseph GoebbelsJoseph Goebbels quote #1 Deconstruction ... insists not that truth is illusory but that it is institutional.
Terry EagletonTerry Eagleton quote #1