Michel de Montaigne Quotes

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

  Michel de Montaigne

  Fear, Happy Life, Men

  72 Copy quote

• Not being able to govern events, I govern myself, and apply myself to them if they will not apply themselves to me.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Expectations, Temptation, Able

  Michel de Montaigne (2015). “Montaigne's Essays: Top Essays”, p.679, 谷月社

  5 Copy quote

• A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Inspirational, Wise, Wisdom

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

  0 Copy quote

• The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts, and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Happiness, Art, Inspirational Life

  9 Copy quote

• There is nothing of evil in life for him who rightly comprehends that death is no evil; to know how to die delivers us from all subjection and constraint.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Death, Evil, Constraints

  Michel de Montaigne “Annotated Essays of Michel de Montaigne with English Grammar Exercises: by Michel de Montaigne (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)”, Powell Publications, LLC

  0 Copy quote

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

  Michel de Montaigne

  People, Conjecture, Uncertain

  4 Copy quote

• Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Marriage, Wedding, Bird

  Attributed to "Essais" by Michel de Montaigne, Book III, Ch. 5, 1595.

  63 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

  9 Copy quote

• I would rather be an expert on me than on Cicero

  Michel de Montaigne

  Experts

  Michel de Montaigne (1991). “The essays of Michel de Montaigne”, Lane, Allen

  3 Copy quote

• A strong imagination begetteth opportunity.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Inspirational, Strong, Opportunity

  9 Copy quote

• Happiness involves working toward meaningful goals.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Happiness, Meaningful, Goal

  4 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

  12 Copy quote

• A man is not hurt so much by what happens, as by his opinion of what happens.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Gratitude, Hurt, Men

  1 Copy quote

• The wise man lives as long as he ought, not so long as he can.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Wise, Men, Long

  Michel de Montaigne, George Savile Marquis of Halifax (1743). “Montaigne's Essays in Three Books: With Notes and Quotations. And an Account of the Author's Life. With a Short Character of the Author and Translator”, p.22

  3 Copy quote

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

  Michel de Montaigne

  Decision, Mind, States

  4 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”

  88 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”

  4 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.

  78 Copy quote

• Socrates thought and so do I that the wisest theory about the gods is no theory at all.

  Michel de Montaigne

  God, Theory, Wisest

  4 Copy quote

• Every movement reveals us.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Movement

  Michel de Montaigne (1958). “Complete Essays”, p.219, Stanford University Press

  3 Copy quote

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

  Michel de Montaigne

  God, Lying, Men

  4 Copy quote

• I do not teach. I relate.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Education, Teaching, Teach

  6 Copy quote

• If you have known how to compose your life, you have done a great deal more than the person who knows how to compose a book. You have done more than the one who has taken cities and empires.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Life, Book, Taken

  0 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.

  68 Copy quote

• Whoever will be cured of ignorance, let him confess it.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Ignorance

  Michel de Montaigne (1946). “The essays”

  0 Copy quote

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