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Meaning
This points to living with urgency, as if time is not guaranteed. It can be read as advice to act boldly, commit fully, and avoid postponing what matters, because greatness here depends on intensity and seriousness rather than caution. The line lands when someone is tempted to delay a calling, a project, or a difficult decision.
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Originally said in English.
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About Francois de La Rochefoucauld
French moralist, 17th century
François de La Rochefoucauld was a French moralist of the classical age of French literature, and the 2nd Duke of La Rochefoucauld and Prince de Marcillac. He is known for Maximes and Memoirs, the only two works from his literary output published in his lifetime. His Maximes is best known for its hard view of human behavior. It treats claims of virtue, affection, friendship, love, and loyalty with skepticism, and often suggests that self-interest lies beneath them.
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- “A wise man thinks it more advantageous not to join the battle than to win.”Francois de La Rochefoucauld
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