The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Men often pass from love to ambition, but they seldom come back again from ambition to love.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that people often prioritize ambition over love and find it difficult to return to the depths of love once they've pursued their ambitions.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld's quote reflects the complex nature of human emotion and priorities, highlighting how love and ambition can conflict. It suggests that while individuals might easily shift their focus from love to ambition in pursuit of success or recognition, transitioning back to the emotional vulnerability of love proves to be a much greater challenge, hinting at the sacrifices often made in the pursuit of one's goals.
Themes
LoveAmbitionHuman EmotionPrioritizationSuccessVulnerability
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a speech about the sacrifices individuals make for their careers at a career fair.
More from Francois De La Rochefoucauld
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The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
To understand matters rightly we should understand their details; and as that knowledge is almost infinite, our knowledge is always superficial and imperfect.
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