“We may bestow advice, but we cannot inspire the conduct.”

— François de La Rochefoucauld , book Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims

Variant translation: We give advice but do not inspire behavior.
Maxim 378.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Original

On donne des conseils mais on n'inspire point de conduite.

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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François de La Rochefoucauld 156

French author of maxims and memoirs 1613–1680

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