François de La Rochefoucauld, Maxims. No. 9.
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The passions are the only orators that always persuade: they are, as it were, a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion is more persuasive than the most eloquent without it.

— François de La Rochefoucauld on Public speaking

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The passions are the only orators that always persuade: they are, as it were, a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion is more persuasive than the most eloquent without it." in the context of "François de La Rochefoucauld, Maxims. No. 9." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Public speaking" (Quotes, Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations: Quotes reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 572-73.) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
François de La Rochefoucauld

About François de La Rochefoucauld

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, le Prince de Marcillac (September 15 1613 – March 17 1680) was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs, as well as an example of the accomplished 17th-century nobleman.