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The Essays of Michel de Montaigne quotes

Michel de Montaigne

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“nothing is so firmly believed, as what we least know;” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“And there never were, in the world, two opinions alike, no more than two hairs, or two grains: their most universal quality is diversity.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I speak truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little the more, as I grow older” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I do myself a greater injury in lying than I do him of whom I tell a lie.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Let every one have his own way, and we shall be always at peace.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“There are defeats more triumphant than victories.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“The thing in the world I am most afraid of is fear” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I am afraid our eyes are bigger than our bellies, and that we have more curiosity than capacity; for we grasp at all, but catch nothing but wind.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“The most manifest sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“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, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to’t” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“In truth, it is not want, but rather abundance, that creates avarice.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“The least forced and most natural motions of the soul are the most beautiful; the best employments, those that are least strained.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“There is no desire more natural than that of knowledge.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Valour is stability, not of legs and arms, but of the courage and the soul; it does not lie in the goodness of our horse or our arms but in our own.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“He who will not give himself leisure to be thirsty can never find the true pleasure of drinking.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“To an atheist all writings tend to atheism: he corrupts the most innocent matter with his own venom.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Nature is a gentle guide, but not more sweet and gentle than prudent and just.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I find I am much prouder of the victory I obtain over myself, when, in the very ardour of dispute, I make myself submit to my adversary's force of reason, than I am pleased with the victory I obtain over him through his weakness.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Stupidity and wisdom meet in the same centre of sentiment and resolution, in the suffering of human accidents.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Glory and curiosity are the scourges of the soul; the last prompts us to thrust our noses into everything, the other forbids us to leave anything doubtful and undecided.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“We only labour to stuff the memory, and leave the conscience and the understanding unfurnished and void.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“he who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“the arms of friendship are long enough to reach from the one end of the world to the other” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I seek, in the reading of books, only to please myself by an honest diversion; or, if I study, 'tis for no other science than what treats of the knowledge of myself, and instructs me how to die and how to live well.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a worm, and yet he will be making gods by dozens.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“All other knowledge is hurtful to him who has not the science of goodness.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Man (in good earnest) is a marvellous vain, fickle, and unstable subject, and on whom it is very hard to form any certain and uniform judgment.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“There is, peradventure, no more manifest vanity than to write of it so vainly.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“The public weal requires that men should betray, and lie, and massacre; let us leave this commission to men who are more obedient and more supple.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“If a man should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I find it could no otherwise be expressed, than by making answer: because it was he, because it was I.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“all the fruit I have reaped from my learning serves only to make me sensible how much I have to learn.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“Every day travels towards death; the last only arrives at it.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“The confidence in another man's virtue is no light evidence of a man's own, and God willingly favours such a confidence.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I so much love to disengage and disobligate myself, that I have sometimes looked upon ingratitudes, affronts, and indignities which I have received from those to whom either by nature or accident I was bound in some way of friendship, as an...” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“How many condemnations have I seen more criminal than the crimes themselves?” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“philosophy . . . people are much to blame to represent it to children for a thing of so difficult access, and with such a frowning, grim, and formidable aspect. Who is it that has disguised it thus, with this false, pale, and ghostly countenance?...” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I hardly ever take a beast alive that I do not presently turn out again.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“I had rather fashion my soul than furnish it.” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
“A father is very miserable who has no other hold on his children's affection than the need they have of his assistance” Michel de Montaigne, The Essays of Michel de Montaigne

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knowledge lie soul curiosity fear wisdom understanding reason suffering victory friendship joy nature memory ignorance opinion speech diversity truth belief

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Michel de Montaigne quotes