“What we call generosity is for the most part only the vanity of giving; and we exercise it because we are more fond of that vanity than of the thing we give.”

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.