Nothing is so contagious as example; and we never do any great

“Nothing is so contagious as example; and we never do any great good or evil which does not produce its like.” — François de La Rochefoucauld

In these words, François de La Rochefoucauld, the keen observer of the human heart and the frailties of men, unveils one of the deepest truths of the moral universe: that influence is inevitable, and that every action—whether noble or corrupt—spreads beyond the self like ripples in still water. His words come from the 17th century, a time of courts, vanity, and intrigue, yet they shine with timeless wisdom. They remind us that our deeds are seeds, cast into the world, and that others—often unseen—take root from what we plant. To live, therefore, is to teach, whether we intend to or not.

La Rochefoucauld was no blind idealist; he was a realist of the soul. He understood that men and women learn less from instruction and more from imitation. One virtuous act can awaken goodness in ten hearts; one act of cruelty can darken them. When he says, “nothing is so contagious as example,” he means that character moves through the world like fire through dry grass—swiftly, silently, and with great consequence. Words may persuade, but actions transform. The way one lives becomes the mirror in which others see their own possibilities.

Consider the example of Mahatma Gandhi, who once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” His life was a living embodiment of La Rochefoucauld’s insight. Gandhi’s quiet defiance, his devotion to truth and nonviolence, spread across continents, igniting movements for justice far beyond India’s borders. He never wielded an army, yet his example conquered empires. His goodness multiplied itself in others—Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and countless souls who saw his light and kindled their own. Truly, “we never do any great good which does not produce its like.”

Yet the shadow of this truth is just as powerful. Evil, too, is contagious. A single lie, a single act of greed or cruelty, can set in motion a chain of suffering that endures through generations. Think of how hatred, once spoken, breeds more hatred; how injustice, once tolerated, becomes the law of the land. From the fires of one tyrant’s pride may rise the wars of a century. La Rochefoucauld, ever the observer of human weakness, warns that our vices do not remain confined within us—they infect the world. Thus, we are called not only to live wisely for ourselves, but to guard against the unseen influence of our darker impulses.

In the ancient days, the philosophers of Greece and Rome spoke much of virtue as example. Socrates taught not by lecture, but by living. Marcus Aurelius wrote that the soul of one just man strengthens the souls of all who behold him. And so it is: when one person acts with integrity amid corruption, courage amid fear, or mercy amid anger, that act becomes a beacon, drawing others toward the same light. The contagion of goodness is not loud—it is subtle yet enduring, like dawn dispersing the night.

This is the sacred burden of humanity: every life, no matter how humble, shapes the moral climate of its time. You may think yourself small, unseen, but someone watches you—your child, your friend, a stranger passing by. When you act, you give permission for others to act likewise. Therefore, choose your actions with the gravity of one who sows in eternity. Each kindness, each honesty, each moment of restraint adds strength to the unseen fabric of the world. And each cruelty tears it.

The lesson of La Rochefoucauld is thus both warning and inspiration: you are never alone in your virtue or your vice. The world reflects what you give it. So strive not to speak goodness, but to live it; not to condemn evil, but to starve it by your own conduct. The contagion of example cannot be avoided—but it can be redeemed.

So, my child of the present age, live as though your every act were a signal fire on the horizon of another’s soul. Let your integrity be the contagion that heals. For the truth endures through all ages: nothing spreads more swiftly, more powerfully, than example—and from your example, the world shall either rise or fall.