If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could do us no harm.
[Si nous ne nous flattions point nous-mêmes, la flatterie des autres ne nous pourroit nuire.]
François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶152 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)]
(Source)
Present in the 1st (1665) edition, where it ended with "... ne nous feroit jamais de mal." See also maxim ¶158.
(Source (French)). Other translations:If we did not Flatter our selves, all the Flatteries of other People could never hurt us.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶153]Did we not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never hurt us.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶144; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶146]Were we not to flatter ourselves, the flattery of others would never hurt us.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶127]If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others would be very harmless.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶155]If we never flattered ourselves the flattery of others would not hurt us.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶152]Did we not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could not harm us.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶152]Flattery would do us no harm if we did not flatter ourselves.
[tr. Stevens (1939), ¶152]If we never flattered ourselves, we would be immune to the flattery of others
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶152]If we never flattered ourselves the flattery of others could do us no harm.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶152]If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶152]
Quotations about:
sycophancy
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
The single most dangerous thing you can do in politics is shut off information from people who don’t agree with you. Surround yourself with sycophants, listen only to the yea-sayers … then stick a fork in it, you’re done.
Molly Ivins (1944-2007) American writer, political columnist [Mary Tyler Ivins]
“Election Denial” (3 Apr. 2001)
Flattery iz like colone water, tew be smelt ov, not swallered.
[Flattery is like cologne water, to be smelt of, not swallowed.]
Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1870-02 (1870 ed.)
(Source)
This passage can be originally found in column material, e.g., in the Middlesex County Journal (Massachusetts) (1969-07-10), "Sollum Thoughts":Flattery is like kolone water, tew be smelt ov, not swallowed.
