A tear is a misfortune, a stain is a vice.
• Part III. Des Choses qui procèdent immédiatement de la personne (Things That Immediately Proceed the Person), Chapter V. De la Toilette dans toutes ses parties (Of the Toilet in all its Parts).
• Part III. Des Choses qui procèdent immédiatement de la personne (Things That Immediately Proceed the Person), Chapter V. De la Toilette dans toutes ses parties (Of the Toilet in all its Parts).
“
Une déchirure est un malheur, une tache est un vice.
— Honoré de Balzac
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Une déchirure est un malheur, une tache est un vice." in the context of "A tear is a misfortune, a stain is a vice.
• Part III. Des Choses qui procèdent immédiatement de la personne (Things That Immediately Proceed the Person), Chapter V. De la Toilette dans toutes ses parties (Of the Toilet in all its Parts)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Honoré de Balzac" (Quotes, Treatise on Elegant Life (1830))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
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