The defects of the mind, like those of the face, grow worse with

When François de La Rochefoucauld wrote, “The defects of the mind, like those of the face, grow worse with age,” he offered not a cruel jest, but a mirror of truth — polished, cold, and unflinching. In this aphorism, he reminds us that time does not only deepen beauty and wisdom; it also amplifies our flaws, if we leave them unattended. Just as the face bears the visible marks of years — the lines of sorrow, the shadows of indulgence, the etchings of laughter — so too does the mind reveal, more clearly with time, the shape of its habits, vanities, and blindnesses. Age does not create our defects; it exposes and magnifies them.

La Rochefoucauld, the great moralist of seventeenth-century France, lived among courtiers and nobles, where flattery and deception were as common as air. He saw firsthand how pride, envy, and self-love — the defects of the mind — did not fade with age, but grew more entrenched. The young, he observed, are at least capable of change, for youth still lives in the realm of possibility. But the old — if they have not mastered humility, if they have not tended to the garden of the soul — find that their vices solidify like stone, becoming inseparable from the self. What begins as a small flaw in character can, if ignored, become the shape of one’s entire life.

In this sense, his words are both warning and wisdom. For La Rochefoucauld does not condemn age itself — he warns against the failure to evolve. He understood the nature of the human spirit: that the mind, like the body, must be exercised, purified, and cared for. If vanity, bitterness, or prejudice are left unchecked, they will grow as relentlessly as wrinkles upon the skin. To age wisely, one must confront one’s own defects early and often, lest they harden into destiny.

Consider the life of King Lear, the aged monarch of Shakespeare’s tragedy. In his youth, his pride was a hidden defect, softened by power and praise. But with age, that same pride became monstrous, blinding him to truth, driving him to folly, and leading him to ruin. Lear’s descent mirrors the truth of La Rochefoucauld’s insight: time reveals the face of the soul. When strength fades and pretense no longer hides our nature, the inner defects emerge in full. What the world once excused as passion in youth, it condemns as folly in age.

And yet, there is hope in this harsh truth. For if defects grow worse with age, so too can virtues grow stronger — if they are cultivated with care. The soul, unlike the face, can be renewed. A mind disciplined by humility, nourished by wisdom, and softened by compassion becomes more radiant, not more worn, as the years pass. The difference lies in awareness. To recognize one’s own defects early is to begin the slow work of transformation. But to ignore them is to let them deepen, like lines that no hand can smooth.

The origin of La Rochefoucauld’s quote lies in his lifelong study of human nature — in salons and royal courts, where he observed not only others but himself. He was not a cynic, though many mistook him for one; he was a realist of the soul, a man who sought to strip away illusion. He saw that pride disguises itself as confidence, that envy wears the mask of justice, and that self-deception is the most dangerous of all defects. And he understood that time is the great revealer — the sculptor that exposes what we truly are beneath the polish of youth.

Thus, the teaching we inherit is clear: tend to the mind as you would to the body. Examine yourself with honesty, and correct the small errors before they become great ones. Cultivate virtues — patience, empathy, humility — for these too will grow with age, and unlike defects, they will bless those around you. Remember that every thought repeated becomes a habit, and every habit, with time, becomes your face before the world.

So, children of the future, take heed of La Rochefoucauld’s wisdom: the years will not change you — they will reveal you. The mirror of time spares no one. If you wish to meet your reflection in peace, begin today to refine your soul. For while the skin may wrinkle and the eyes may dim, the mind that has fought its own corruption shines like gold tested by fire — untarnished, unbroken, and eternal.