It is generally pride rather than lack of intelligence which prompts men to dispute so obstinately generally accepted opinions; they find all the front seats taken on the popular side, and do not wish to sit behind.
[C’est plus souvent par orgueil que par défaut de lumières qu’on s’oppose avec tant d’opiniâtreté aux opinions les plus suivies: on trouve les premières places prises dans le bon parti, et on ne veut point des dernières.]
François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶234 (1665-1678) [tr. Stevens (1939)]
(Source)
This passage first appeared in the 5th (1678) edition. Earlier English translations do not include it.
See also Gracián (1647).
In the manuscript version, "C'est ... d’opiniâtreté" is given as: "C’est par orgueil qu’on s’oppose avec tant d’opiniâtreté … [It is out of pride that they oppose with such stubbornness ...]," removing the comment about lack of understanding / intelligence.
(Source (French)). Other translations:It is more often from pride than from want of intelligence that people oppose with so much obstinacy; the most received opinions. They find the best places taken up in the good party, and do not like to put up with inferior ones.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶380]It is more often from pride than from ignorance that we are so obstinately opposed to current opinions; we find the first places taken, and we do not want to be the last.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶234]It is more often our pride than our limited understanding which makes us fly so violently in the face of public opinion. We find the best seats on the correct side already occupied, and we do not care to sit in the rear.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶377]Pride, rather than a lack of perspicacity, is what usually drives us to oppose with such obstinacy opinions that are generally accepted as correct: though theirs may be the better party, the front benches are already filled, and we certainly do not want to take a back seat.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶234]It is oftener through pride than through lack of understanding that we so militantly object to prevailing opinions; we find the front seats already in other hands, and we do not want rear ones.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶234]Those who obstinately oppose the most widely-held opinions more often do so because of pride than lack of intelligence. They find the best places in the right set already taken, and they do not want back seats.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶234]It is more often from pride than from ignorance that we so stubbornly oppose ourselves to the most current opinions: we find the first seats already taken on the better side, and do not wish to sit down there last.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶234]
