Michel de Montaigne
sign wisdom cheerfulness
“The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness. ”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
high throne world sit bottom
“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
quote others express myself
“I quote others only in order the better to express myself.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
learned other men wise wisdom own
“Learned we may be with another man's learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
eyes stomach curiosity understanding grasp catch wind
“I am afraid that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, and that we have more curiosity than understanding. We grasp at everything, but catch nothing except wind.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
man stark mad make worm gods dozen
“Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a worm, and yet he will be making gods by dozens.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
nothing firmly believe least know
“Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
company peasant educated reason incorrectly
“I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
obsession wellspring genius madness
“Obsession is the wellspring of genius and madness.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
nature chance business know better
“Let us give Nature a chance; she knows her business better than we do.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
speak truth much dare older
“I speak the truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little more as I grow older.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
believe people barbarous savage contrary habits
“I do not believe, from what I have been told about this people, that there is anything barbarous or savage about them, except that we all call barbarous anything that is contrary to our own habits.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
fruitful natural exercise mind conversaion
“The most fruitful and natural exercise for our minds is, in my opinion, conversation.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
speak nonsense misfortune solemnly
“No-one is exempt from speaking nonsense – the only misfortune is to do it solemnly.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
difference between us ourself others
“There is as much difference between us and ourselves as there is between us and others.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
judgement knowledge
“Judgement can do without knowledge: but not knowledge without judgement.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
kings philosophers shit ladies
“Kings and philosophers shit—and so do ladies.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
marriage blind wife deaf husband
“a good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
expensive free gift
“There is no more expensive thing than a free gift.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
grat glorious masterpiece man live purpose
“The great and glorious masterpiece of man is to live with purpose.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
life terrible misfortunes never happened
“My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
women reject moral rules society men made woman
“Women are not entirely wrong when they reject the moral rules proclaimed in society, since it is we men alone who have made them.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
time warlike nation rude ignorant
“In our time the most warlike nations are the most rude and ignorant.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
tentative reckless sure apprentice sixty doctor ten age old
“Better to be tentative than to be recklessly sure- to be an apprentice at sixty, than to present oneself as a doctor at ten.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
man barbarism practice habit difference
“Each man calls barbarism whatever is not his own practice.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
average man consider fact
“I consider myself an average man, except for the fact that I consider myself an average man.”
― Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)