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Michel de Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne Quotes

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Famous Michel de Montaigne Quotes

“A tutor should not be continually thundering instruction into the ears of his pupil, as if he were pouring it through a funnel, but, after having put the lad, like a young horse, on a trot, before him, to observe his paces, and see what he is able to perform, should, according to the extent of his capacity, induce him to taste, to distinguish, and to find out things for himself; sometimes opening the way, at other times leaving it for him to open; and by abating or increasing his own pace, accommodate his precepts to the capacity of his pupil.”

IfsWayShouldSometimesAbleYoungTeachingTasteCapacityEarsHorseLeavingOpeningPaceInstructionPupilsPouringAccommodateLadTutor
Author:Michel de Montaigne
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“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”

IfsFirstsGraceDoorsExampleSightInclinationAcquaintanceCourtesyFamiliarityBegetsLove One Another
Book: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
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“We have no participation in Being, because all human nature is ever midway between being born and dying, giving off only a vague image and shadow of itself, and a weak and uncertain opinion. And if you chance to fix your thoughts on trying to grasp its essence, it would be neither more nor less than if your tried to clutch water.”

IfsThinkingGivingTryingHumansWould BeWaterBornChanceOpinionDyingHuman NatureShadowWeakEssenceThoughtfulUncertainVagueParticipationClutchMidway
Book:The Essays
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“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?”

IfsWorldLifeKindDifferentLife IsOur LivesSweetDiversityMusicianHarmonyEndureContraryLoudToneFlatsEnduranceHarsh
Book:Montaigne's Essays and Selected Writings
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“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.”

IfsLoveJusticeLove IsPleasureMarriageFireAliveShareSmartDifficultySensesCeaseHonourGroundedUsefulnessStaleConstancyPleasure Love
Book:The Essays
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“Memory is a wonderfully useful tool, and without it judgement does its work with difficulty; it is entirely lacking in me.... Now,the more I distrust my memory, the more confused it becomes. It serves me better by chance encounter; I have to solicit it nonchalantly. For if I press it, it is stunned; and once it has begun to totter, the more I probe it, the more it gets mixed up and embarrassed. It serves me at its own time, not at mine.”

IfsDoeSelfMemoriesChanceMinesJudgmentToolsDifficultyPressesJudgementConfusedEncountersLackingEmbarrassedDistrustStunnedChance Encounters
Author:Michel de Montaigne
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“If these Essays were worthy of being judged, it might fall out, in my opinion, that they would not find much favour, either with common and vulgar minds, or with uncommon and eminent ones: the former would not find enough in them, the latter would find too much; they might manage to live somewhere in the middle region.”

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Author:Michel de Montaigne
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“Learning is not to be tacked to the mind, but we must fuse and blend them together, not merely giving the mind a slight tincture, but a thorough and perfect dye. And if we perceive no evident change and improvement, it would be better to leave it alone; learning is a dangerous weapon, and apt to wound its master if it be wielded by a feeble hand, and by one not well acquainted with its use.”

IfsGivingMindWellsUseHandsWould BeTogetherPerfectLearningDangerousMastersWeaponsWoundsImprovementPerceiveEvidentThoroughFuse
Author:Michel de Montaigne
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“The vulgar and common esteem is seldom happy in hitting right; and I am much mistaken if, amongst the writings of my time, the worst are not those which have most gained the popular applause.”

IfsWritingCommonWorstEsteemMy TimeHittingPopularityMistakenVulgarApplause
Book: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
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“God might grant us riches, honours, life, and even health, to our own hurt; for every thing that is pleasing to us is not always good for us. If he sends us death, or an increase of sickness, instead of a cure, Vvrga tua et baculus, tuus ipsa me consolata sunt. "Thy rod and thy staff have comforted me," he does it by the rule of his providence, which better and more certainly discerns what is proper for us than we can do; and we ought to take it in good part, as coming from a wise and most friendly hand.”

IfsDoeHandsMightCan DoHurtWiseOughtIncreaseRichesCuresSicknessFriendlyGrantsHonourProvidenceStaff
Book:Works: Comprising His Essays, Letters, and Journey Through Germany and Italy; with Notes, Notices, Etc
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“A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself.”

IfsMenLosesWiseBeing YourselfBe True To YourselfTrue To YourselfInspirations Being Yourself
Book:Works, Comprising His Essays, Letters, and Journey Through Germany and Italy: With Notes from All the Commentators, Biographical and Bibliographical Notices &c., &c
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