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Michel de Montaigne Quotes - Page 19

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Examples teach us that in military affairs, and all others of a like nature, study is apt to enervate and relax the courage of man, rather than to give strength and energy to the mind.

Examples teach us that in military affairs, and all others of a like nature, study is apt to enervate and relax the courage of man, rather than to give strength and energy to the mind.

Michel de Montaigne
Military, Men, Giving

Off I go, rummaging about in books for sayings which please me.

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

There is no knowledge so hard to acquire as the knowledge of how to live this life well and naturally.

Michel de Montaigne
This Life, Live Well, Wells
Michel de Montaigne (1958). “Complete Essays”, p.852, Stanford University Press

Ambition is, of all other, the most contrary humor to solitude; and glory and repose are so inconsistent that they cannot possibly inhabit one and the same place; and for so much as I understand, those have only their arms and legs disengaged from the crowd, their mind and intention remain engaged behind more than ever.

Michel de Montaigne
Ambition, Solitude, Mind

I look upon the too good opinion that man has of himself, as the nursing mother of all false opinions, both public and private.

Michel de Montaigne
Mother, Nursing, Men
Michel de Montaigne (2015). “Essays of Montaigne”, p.760, Xist Publishing

Courtesy, like grace and beauty, that which begets liking and inclination to love one another at the first sight, and in the very beginning of our acquaintance and familiarity; and, consequently, that which first opens the door for us to better ourselves by the example of others, if there be anything in the society worth notice

Michel de Montaigne
Sight, Doors, Grace
Michel de Montaigne, William Hazlitt (1889). “The Complete Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising His Essays, Letters, and His Journey Through Germany and Italy ; Together with a Comprehensive Life and Side and Foot Notes from All the Commentators, Fully Explanatory of the Text ; Biographical and Bibliographical Notices, Etc., Etc”

Oh these foolish men! They could not create so much as a worm, but they create gods by the dozens.

Michel de Montaigne
Men, Foolish Man, Religion

We took advantage of [the Indians'] ignorance and inexperience to incline them the more easily toward treachery, lewdness, avarice, and every sort of inhumanity and cruelty, after the example and pattern of our ways.

Michel de Montaigne
Ignorance, America, Inexperience

I am much afraid that we shall have very greatly hastened the decline and ruin of the New World by our contagion, and that we willhave sold it our opinions and our arts very dear.

Michel de Montaigne
Art, Civilization, America

The body enjoys a great share in our being, and has an eminent place in it. Its structure and composition, therefore, are worthy of proper consideration.

Michel de Montaigne
Body, Consideration, Share
Michel de Montaigne (1958). “Essays”

Oh, what a valiant faculty is hope, that in a mortal subject, and in a moment, makes nothing of usurping infinity, immensity, eternity, and of supplying its masters indigence, at its pleasure, with all things he can imagine or desire!

Michel de Montaigne
Hope, Desire, Infinity
Michel de Montaigne (1894*). “The Essays of Michel de Montaigne”

Socrates and then Archesilaus used to make their pupils speak first; they spoke afterwards. 'Obest plerumque iss discere volunt authoritas eorum qui docent.' [For those who want to learn, the obstacle can often be the authority of those who teach]

Michel de Montaigne
Educational, Often Is, Want
Michel de Montaigne (1991). “The essays of Michel de Montaigne”, Lane, Allen

The finest souls are those that have the most variety and suppleness.

Michel de Montaigne
Soul, Finest, Variety

I have never known a greater miracle, or monster, than myself.

Michel de Montaigne
Truth, Miracle, Monsters

Is there anything so grave and serious as an ass?

Michel de Montaigne
Serious, Ass, Graves

We do not marry for ourselves, whatever we say; we marry just as much or more for our posterity, for our family. The practice and benefit of marriage concerns our race very far beyond us.

Michel de Montaigne
Marriage, Race, Practice
Michel de Montaigne (2003). “The Complete Works: Essays, Travel Journal, Letters”, Everyman's Library

The customs and practices of life in society sweep us along.

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

Not only does the wind of accidents stir me according to its blowing, but I am also stirred and troubled by the instability of my attitude.

Michel de Montaigne
Attitude, Wind, Doe
Michel de Montaigne (1946). “The essays”

A well-bred man is always sociable and complaisant.

Michel de Montaigne
Men, Manners, Wells

One should be ever booted and spurred and ready to depart.

Michel de Montaigne
Dying, Death And Dying, Should

And as hearbes and trees are bettered and fortified by being transplanted, so formes of speach are embellished and graced by variation.... As in our ordinary language, we shall sometimes meete with excellent phrases, and quaint metaphors, whose blithnesse fadeth through age, and colour is tarnish by to common using them.

Michel de Montaigne
Tree, Age, Ordinary

One must be a little foolish if one does not want to be even more stupid.

Michel de Montaigne
Stupid, Silly, Want

Speech belongs half to the speaker, half to the listener. The latter must prepare to receive it according to the motion it takes.

Michel de Montaigne
Communication, Listening, Half
Michel de Montaigne (1980). “Essays”

Lucius Arruntius killed himself, he said, to escape both the future and the past.

Michel de Montaigne
Past, Said
Michel de Montaigne (1979). “Essays”

The laws of conscience, which we pretend to be derived from nature, proceed from Custom.

Michel de Montaigne
Law, Morality, Tradition
Michel de Montaigne (1859). “Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising His Essays, Journey Into Italy, and Letters, with Notes from All the Commentators, Biographical and Bibliographical Notices, Etc”, p.171

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