A translation of one of La Rochefoucauld's maxims, published posthumously in 1693. In the original: "Force gens veulent être dévots, mais personne ne veut être humble."
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Plenty of people wish to become devout, but no one wishes to be humble.
— Joseph Addison
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Plenty of people wish to become devout, but no one wishes to be humble." in the context of "A translation of one of La Rochefoucauld's maxims, published posthumously in 1693. In the original: "Force gens veulent être dévots, mais personne ne veut être humble."" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Joseph Addison" (Misattributed: Alphabetized by author)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison (May 1 1672 – June 17 1719) was an English politician and writer. His name is often remembered in tandem with that of his friend, Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine.
About Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison (May 1 1672 – June 17 1719) was an English politician and writer. His name is often remembered in tandem with that of his friend, Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine.
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