Some know what is good, and are horrified at what is not; their opinions are clear and true, and they find the reason for their taste in their mind and understanding.
The surrounding passage

Some persons have bad taste in everything, others have bad taste only in some things, but a correct and good taste in matters within their capacity. Some have peculiar taste, which they know to be bad, but which they still follow. Some have a doubtful taste, and let chance decide, their indecision makes them change, and they are affected with pleasure or weariness on their friends' judgment. Others are always prejudiced, they are the slaves of their tastes, which they adhere to in everything. Some know what is good, and are horrified at what is not; their opinions are clear and true, and they find the reason for their taste in their mind and understanding.

The work and its creator

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Creator: François de La Rochefoucauld
Nationality / cultural background: French
Work / edition: 1871 translation

Translation: J. Hain Friswell · English

Historical public-domain text. Selected passage; line-end whitespace normalised. No generated quotation.

In the source: REFLECTIONS; OR, SENTENCES AND MORAL MAXIMS; paragraph 805 in the selected body section

Selected for the Brief on 11 Sep 2026. This date records our selection, rather than when the work was created.