“Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.”François de La Rochefoucauld · Maxime · 1665 · Maxima 2
The most convincing and dangerous flatterer is our own self-love.
La Rochefoucauld reveals a subtle mechanism of the ego: self-love is not just a passion, but a permanent flatterer. It tells us beautiful stories about ourselves, justifies our mistakes, hides our flaws. It is like a courtier who never contradicts us. Others may flatter us occasionally, but no one does it as constantly and convincingly as our own self-love.
Why it matters Today, when we are surrounded by external confirmations, this maxim warns you that the most dangerous flatterer is yourself.