La Rochefoucauld — Maxims

A knowledge base on François de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680), built from his
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales (5th ed., 1678; maxims 1–504 plus the
withdrawn 1665 maxims layer).

A cynical unmasker of psychology: behind every virtue lies the work of self-love.
Self-love (amour-propre) as the hidden engine of everything, and its blindness to
itself; interest speaking every language; hypocrisy as the tribute vice pays to
virtue; humility, friendship, love — all fields where self-love operates. The
theater of society, where the norm is real but the mask has fused to the face.

Source: larochefoucauld.2pub.me