"L'absence diminue les médiocres passions, et augmente les grands, comme le vent éteint les bougies et allume le feu.

"Absence diminishes the lesser passions and increases the great ones, just as the wind extinguishes candles but fans a great fire.

276. — Absence extinguishes small passions and increases great ones, as the wind will blow out a candle, and blow in a fire.

Absence diminishes minor passions and inflames great ones, as the wind douses a candle and fans a fire. La Rochefoucauld, 1613-1680 OBSERVANCE

Absence is to love as wind is to fire: it extinguishes the little flame, it fans the big.

Absense diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.

Wind extinguishes a candle and energizes fire.

Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder… or forgetful.

Wind extinguishes a candle and energizes fire. Likewise with randomness, uncertainty, chaos: you want to use them, not hide from them. You want to be the fire and wish for the wind.

...y quien diga que todo fuego se apaga solo tarde o temprano, se equivoca: hay pasiones que son incendios hasta que las ahoga el destino de un zarpazo y aun así quedan brasas calientes listas para arder apenas se les da oxígeno.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it sure makes the rest of you lonely.

One expected growth, change; without it, the world was less, the well of inspiration dried up, the muses fled.

One idealizes people when they're away, it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and when one sees them again one's often surprised that one saw anything in them at all.