The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Old men delight in giving good advice as a consolation for the fact that they can no longer set bad examples.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Old men may offer valuable advice because they can no longer engage in harmful actions.
This quote suggests that older individuals often reflect on their past actions and, recognizing their own shortcomings, feel compelled to provide guidance to younger people. The irony lies in the fact that while they can share wisdom, their own experiences may have been flawed, and this advice serves as a consolation for their inability to act in their youth as they now counsel others to do.
Themes
AdviceWisdomExperienceOlder MenExamples
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a retirement speech to highlight the value of experience.
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.
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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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In most of mankind gratitude is merely a secret hope of further favors.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
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