Nos vertus ne sont, le plus souvent, que des vices déguisés. — François de La Rochefoucauld | Printable Wall Art

“Nos vertus ne sont, le plus souvent, que des vices déguisés.”
“Our virtues are most often merely vices in disguise.”

Words by François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) — French moralist and writer of maxims.

About this quote

This observation suggests that human motives are rarely as pure as they appear. People often perform good deeds out of vanity, pride, or fear rather than genuine altruism. By peeling back the layers of apparent nobility, the author encourages us to question our true intentions, reminding us that self-interest frequently hides behind a respectable facade.

This line served as the famous epigraph to François de La Rochefoucauld’s Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales, first published in France in 1665. The work is renowned for its sharp, cynical observations on human psychology.

People often hang this in a home office or study as a thought-provoking reminder to practice self-reflection.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.