Michel de Montaigne Quotes

588 Sourced Quotes

The most regular and most perfect soul in the world has but too much to do to keep itself upright from being overthrown by its own weakness.

Michel de Montaigne
As for me, then, I love life and cultivate it just as God has been pleased to grant it to us.

Michel de Montaigne
No man divulges his revenue, or at least which way it comes in: but every one publishes his acquisitions.

Michel de Montaigne
We are all of us richer than we think we are; but we are taught to borrow and to beg, and brought up more to make use of what is another's than of our own.

Michel de Montaigne
Most of our occupations are low comedy.... We must play our part duly, but as the part of a borrowed character. Of the mask and appearance we must not make a real essence, nor of what is foreign what is our very own.

Michel de Montaigne
Now there cannot be first principles for men, unless the Divinity has revealed them; all the rest--beginning, middle, and end--isnothing but dreams and smoke.

Michel de Montaigne
We commend a horse for his strength, and sureness of foot, and not for his rich caparisons; a greyhound for his share of heels, not for his fine collar; a hawk for her wing, not for her jesses and bells. Why, in like manner, do we not value a man for what is properly his own? He has a great train, a beautiful palace, so much credit, so many thousand pounds a year, and all these are about him, but not in him.

Michel de Montaigne
If not for that of conscience, yet at least for ambition's sake, let us reject ambition, let us disdain that thirst of honor and renown, so low and mendicant; that it makes us beg it of all sorts of people.

Michel de Montaigne
Almost all the opinions we have are taken on authority and on credit.

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

Michel de Montaigne
I am disgusted with innovation, in whatever guise, and with reason, for I have seen very harmful effects of it.

Michel de Montaigne
After mature deliberation of counsel, the good Queen to establish a rule and immutable example unto all posterity, for the moderation and required modesty in a lawful marriage, ordained the number of six times a day as a lawful, necessary and competent limit.

Michel de Montaigne
We have the pleasures suitable to our lot; let us not usurp those of greatness. Ours are more natural and all the more solid and sure for being humbler. Since we will not do so out of conscience, at least out of ambition let us reject ambition.

Michel de Montaigne
When Socrates, after being relieved of his irons, felt the relish of the itching that their weight had caused in his legs, he rejoiced to consider the close alliance between pain and pleasure.

Michel de Montaigne
A learned man is not learned in all things; but a sufficient man is sufficient throughout, even to ignorance itself.

Michel de Montaigne
Women are not altogether in the wrong when they refuse the rules of life prescribed to the World, for men only have established them and without their consent.

Michel de Montaigne
The thing in the world I am most afraid of is fear, and with good reason; that passion alone, in the trouble of it, exceeding all other accidents

Michel de Montaigne
An ancient father says that a dog we know is better company than a man whose language we do not understand.

Michel de Montaigne
Decency, not to dare to do that in public which it is decent enough to do in private.

Michel de Montaigne
It has never occurred to me to wish for empire or royalty, nor for the eminence of those high and commanding fortunes. My aim lies not in that direction; I love myself too well.

Michel de Montaigne
Anyone who does not feel sufficiently strong in memory should not meddle with lying.

Michel de Montaigne
The share we have in the knowledge of truth, such as it is, has not been acquired by our own powers. God has taught ushis wonderful secrets; our faith is not of our acquiring, it is purely the gift of another's bounty.

Michel de Montaigne
Truth and reason are common to everyone, and are no more his who spake them first than his who speaks them after.

Michel de Montaigne
A man must live in the world and make the best of it, such as it is.

Michel de Montaigne
The premeditation of death is the premeditation of liberty; he who has learnt to die has forgot to serve.

Michel de Montaigne
If your doctor does not think it good for you to sleep, to drink wine, or to eat of a particular dish, do not worry; I will find you another who will not agree with him.

Michel de Montaigne
We owe subjection and obedience to all our kings, whether good or bad, alike, for that has respect unto their office; but as to esteem and affection, these are only due to their virtue.

Michel de Montaigne
To make a crooked stick straight, we bend it the contrary way.

Michel de Montaigne
Who does not see that I have taken a road along which I shall go, without stopping and without effort, as long as there is ink and paper in the world? I cannot keep a record of my life by my actions; fortune places them too low. I keep it by my thoughts.

Michel de Montaigne
Marriage has, for its share, usefulness, justice, honour, and constancy; a stale but more durable pleasure. Love is grounded on pleasure alone, and it is indeed more gratifying to the senses, keener and more acute; a pleasure stirred and kept alive by difficulties. There must be a sting and a smart in it. It ceases to be love if it has no shafts and no fire.

Michel de Montaigne