Michel de Montaigne Quotes

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

  Michel de Montaigne

  Fear, Happy Life, Men

  90 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.

  89 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

  21 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.

  28 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

  70 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.

  109 Copy quote

• Wise men have more to learn of fools than fools of wise men.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Wise, Men, Fool

  Michel de Montaigne (1811). “The essays of Michael de Montaigne”, p.166

  15 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

  95 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”

  94 Copy quote

• On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Inspiration, Kids, Humility

  Essais bk. 3, ch. 13 (1580)

  39 Copy quote

• Ignorance is the softest pillow on which a man can rest his head.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Ignorance, Men, Pillow

  9 Copy quote

• Man is quite insane. He wouldn?t know how to create a maggot, and he creates Gods by the dozen.

  Michel de Montaigne

  God, Crazy, Men

  'Essais' (1580) bk. 2, ch. 12

  55 Copy quote

• Only the fools are certain and assured.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Wisdom, Fool, Certain

  Michel de Montaigne (1958). “Complete Essays”, p.111, Stanford University Press

  16 Copy quote

• Laws are often made by fools, and even more often by men who fail in equity because they hate equality: but always by men, vain authorities who can resolve nothing.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Hate, Men, Law

  4 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

  11 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.

  76 Copy quote

• A man must always study, but he must not always go to school: what a contemptible thing is an old abecedarian!

  Michel de Montaigne

  School, Men, Study

  Michel de Montaigne, William Hazlitt (1860). “The Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising His Essays, Letters, and Journey Through Germany and Italy”, p.352

  4 Copy quote

• If there is such a thing as a good marriage, it is because it resembles friendship rather than love.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Love, Marriage, Ifs

  15 Copy quote

• The only thing certain is nothing is certain.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Positive, Wise, Wisdom

  14 Copy quote

• Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Live In The Moment, Past Present Future, Mindfulness

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

  21 Copy quote

• Every man has within himself the entire human condition

  Michel de Montaigne

  Men, Human Condition, Humans

  53 Copy quote

• When I quote others I do so in order to express my own ideas more clearly.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Inspirational, Golf, Order

  Michel de Montaigne (1946). “The essays”

  43 Copy quote

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

  Michel de Montaigne

  Decision, Mind, States

  7 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.

  38 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”

  11 Copy quote

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