Quotes by french authors

What the public criticizes in you, cultivate. It is you. Jean Cocteau
You Criticizes Cultivate Public
To be adult is to be alone. Jean Rostand
Alone Adult
We should keep silent about those in power; to speak well of them almost implies flattery; to speak ill of them while they are alive is dangerous, and when they are dead is cowardly. Jean de la Bruyere
Speak Dangerous Power Cowardly Those Alive Silent About Almost Implies Dead Well While Flattery Them Should Ill Keep
My life is very exciting now. Nostalgia for what? It's like climbing a staircase. I'm on the top of the staircase, I look behind and see the steps. That's where I was. We're here right now. Tomorrow, we'll be someplace else. So why nostalgia? Jeanne Moreau
Life Tomorrow My Life Else Top See Someplace Someplace Else Exciting Steps Like Look Climbing Very Behind Where Nostalgia Staircase Now Why Right Here
You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy. John Calvin
You Suffering Joy Submit Completion Must Supreme Discover Order
True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher. John Petit-Senn
Courage Wind Kite Higher True True Courage Like Contrary Raises
We must respect the past, and mistrust the present, if we wish to provide for the safety of the future. Joseph Joubert
Future Respect Safety Wish Past Must Mistrust Provide Present
Imagination is the eye of the soul. Joseph Joubert
Soul Imagination Eye
Failure is not our only punishment for laziness; there is also the success of others. Jules Renard
Success Failure Laziness Others Our Punishment Only Also
The only man who is really free is the one who can turn down an invitation to dinner without giving an excuse. Jules Renard
Man Dinner Free Giving Down Only Invitation Excuse Without Turn Really Who
Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth. Jules Verne
Truth Science Made Mistakes Lead Make Because Up Lad Which Little Useful
The ministers of kings should learn to moderate their ambition. The higher they elevate themselves above their proper sphere, the greater the danger that they will fall. Louis XIV
Will Fall Ambition Danger Sphere Ministers Kings Above Proper Higher Learn Greater Moderate Themselves Should Elevate
It's always the small people who change things. It's never the politicians or the big guys. I mean, who pulled down the Berlin wall? It was all the people in the streets. The specialists didn't have a clue the day before. Luc Besson
Day Change People Berlin Wall Big Before Politicians Down Change Things Berlin All People Guys Small Small People Never Always Big Guys Wall Clue Mean Who Specialists Things Streets Pulled
Music and silence combine strongly because music is done with silence, and silence is full of music. Marcel Marceau
Music Silence Strongly Combine Because Done Full
The paradoxes of today are the prejudices of tomorrow, since the most benighted and the most deplorable prejudices have had their moment of novelty when fashion lent them its fragile grace. Marcel Proust
Today Fashion Grace Tomorrow Paradoxes Had Since Most Deplorable Them Lent Prejudices Moment Novelty Fragile
Let us leave pretty women to men devoid of imagination. Marcel Proust
Women Men Imagination Pretty Devoid Leave Us Let Us
It is true I am rather taken up with dress; but as to feathers, every one wears them, and it would seem extraordinary if I did not. Marie Antoinette
Feathers Every Extraordinary Would Wears Dress Seem Rather Taken True Am Up Did Them
One time, I was given an essay topic: to describe a perfect horse, whom the mere sight of the rider's whip would make obedient. I depicted this perfect horse throwing his rider at the sight of the whip. Marquis de Lafayette
Time Topic Sight Would One Time Obedient Given Horse Perfect Throwing Mere Make His Essay Depicted Whip Rider Describe Whom
One is never so dangerous when one has no shame, than when one has grown too old to blush. Marquis de Sade
Dangerous Old Too Shame Never Than Blush Grown
All universal moral principles are idle fancies. Marquis de Sade
Moral Moral Principles Principles Idle Fancy Universal
A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth. Instead of its bringing sad and melancholy prospects of decay, it would give us hopes of eternal youth in a better world. Maurice Chevalier
Sad Age Youth World Better Reward Old Better World Old Age Melancholy Would Hopes Give Instead Prospects Comfortable Well-Spent Decay Eternal Eternal Youth Us Bringing
Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. Maurice Chevalier
You Age Old Old Age Consider Bad Alternative
Power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategical situation in a particular society. Michel Foucault
Strength Power Situation Society Complex Neither Structure Name Particular Institution Attributes Endowed Certain
When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not amusing herself with me more than I with her. Michel de Montaigne
Me Herself More Cat She Knows Than Whether Who Play Her Amusing
I quote others only in order the better to express myself. Michel de Montaigne
Myself Better Others Only Order Quote Express
If you don't know how to die, don't worry; Nature will tell you what to do on the spot, fully and adequately. She will do this job perfectly for you; don't bother your head about it. Michel de Montaigne
Death Nature You Will Job Worry Adequately Tell About Bother Head Perfectly Know She Spot How Die Your Fully
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