Full Idea
If love be judged by its most visible effects it looks more like hatred than friendship.
Gist of Idea
Judging by effects, love looks more like hatred than friendship
Source
La Rochefoucauld (Maxims [1663], 072)
Book Reference
Rochefoucauld,La: 'Maxims' [Penguin 1959], p.44
A Reaction
Presumably he is thinking of pursuit, possession and jealousy. The remark is plausible if you add the word 'sometimes' to it, but as a universal generalisation it is ridiculous, the product of a society where they competed to exceed in cynicism.