Michel de Montaigne Quotes

• A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Fear, Happy Life, Men

  82 Copy quote

• I quote others only in order the better to express myself.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Communication, Order, Language

  Michel de Montaigne (1856). “The Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising His Essays, Letters, and Journey Through Germany and Italy”, p.86

  17 Copy quote

• The man who thinks he knows does not yet know what knowing is

  Michel de Montaigne

  Men, Thinking, Knowing

  4 Copy quote

• In nine lifetimes, you'll never know as much about your cat as your cat knows about you.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Cat, Nine, Lifetime

  11 Copy quote

• The truth of these days is not that which really is, but what every man persuades another man to believe.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Truth, Believe, Men

  Michel de Montaigne (2015). “Montaigne's Essays: Top Essays”, p.701, 谷月社

  8 Copy quote

• Lying is a terrible vice, it testifies that one despises God, but fears men.

  Michel de Montaigne

  God, Lying, Men

  11 Copy quote

• My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Inspirational, Funny, Life

  Attributed to "Essais" by Michel de Montaigne, 1595.

  83 Copy quote

• Men are most apt to believe what they least understand.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Believe, Men, Libertarian Party

  Michel de Montaigne, William Hazlitt, Orlando Williams Wight (1866). “Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising his essays, journey into Italy, and letters”, p.357

  8 Copy quote

• Sometimes it is a good choice not to choose at all.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Choices, Sometimes, Good Choices

  Michel de Montaigne (1603). “Essayes”

  9 Copy quote

• He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Anger, Noise, Arguing

  Attributed to "Essais" by Michel de Montaigne, 1595.

  24 Copy quote

• We must learn to endure what we cannot avoid. Our life is composed, like the harmony of the world, of contrary things, also of different tones, sweet and harsh, sharp and flat, soft and loud. If a musician liked only one kind, what would he have to say?

  Michel de Montaigne

  Life, Sweet, Diversity

  Michel de Montaigne (1963). “Montaigne's Essays and Selected Writings”

  92 Copy quote

• The value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them... Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not on your tale of years, but on your will.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Lying, Satisfaction In Life, Years

  Attributed to "Essais" by Michel de Montaigne, Book I, Ch. 20, 1595.

  107 Copy quote

• All permanent decisions are made in a temporary state of mind.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Decision, Mind, States

  7 Copy quote

• There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Wisdom, Agreement, Political

  Attributed to "Essais" by Michel de Montaigne, 1595.

  74 Copy quote

• The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Respect, Self Esteem, Being Alone

  Michel de Montaigne (1958). “Complete Essays”, p.178, Stanford University Press

  92 Copy quote

• No-one is exempt from speaking nonsense – the only misfortune is to do it solemnly.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Nonsense, Misfortunes

  10 Copy quote

• The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Happiness, Cheerful, Certain

  Michel de Montaigne, Bayle St. John (1866). “Essays [tr. by Cotton”, p.235

  67 Copy quote

• Other people do not see you at all, but guess at you by uncertain conjectures.

  Michel de Montaigne

  People, Conjecture, Uncertain

  7 Copy quote

• Don't discuss yourself, for you are bound to lose; if you belittle yourself, you are believed; if you praise yourself, you are disbelieved.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Praise, Belittle, Ifs

  Attributed to "Essais" by Michel de Montaigne, Book III, Ch. 8, 1595.

  13 Copy quote

• Fame and tranquility can never be bedfellows.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Quiet, Tranquility, Fame

  'Essais' (1580) bk. 1, ch. 39

  8 Copy quote

• Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Confidence, Self Esteem, Love Yourself

  "Essais" by Michel de Montaigne, Chapter X, 1595.

  37 Copy quote

• Happiness involves working toward meaningful goals.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Happiness, Meaningful, Goal

  9 Copy quote

• A man must keep a little back shop where he can be himself without reserve. In solitude alone can he know true freedom.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Freedom, Men, Solitude

  19 Copy quote

• Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Memories, Wish, Criminal Mind

  16 Copy quote

• As soon as women become ours we are no longer theirs.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Possession

  8 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

Etienne de La Boetie

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Rene Descartes

Niccolo Machiavelli

Pierre de Ronsard

William Shakespeare

Francois Rabelais

Desiderius Erasmus