Michel de Montaigne Quotes

It is a monstrous thing that I will say, but I will say it all the same: I find in many things more restraint and order in my morals than in my opinions, and my lust less depraved than my reason.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

All Monstrous Same Say The Thing Will
The worst of my actions or conditions seem not so ugly unto me as I find it both ugly and base not to dare to avouch for them.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Avoid Both Condition Dare Nase Seem Them Ugly Worstm Action
I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Company Educate Incorrectly Peasant Prefer Reason Sufficient
The way of the world is to make laws, but follow custom.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Custom Follow Law Make Way World
No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Address Certain Port Serve Voyage Wind
One may be humble out of pride.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Be Humble May One Pride
My trade and art is to live.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Art Live Trade
There is a sort of gratification in doing good which makes us rejoice in ourselves.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Do Good Gratification Make Ourselves Rejoice Sort
There is no pleasure to me without communication: there is not so much as a sprightly thought comes into my mind that it does not grieve me to have produced alone, and that I have no one to tell it to.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Alone Communication Grief Leasure Left Mind Much No One Produce Sprightly
If you don’t know how to die, don’t worry; Nature will tell you what to do on the spot, fully and adequately.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Adequately Die Fully How Know Nature Spot Tell To What Worry
There is no desire more natural than the desire for knowledge.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Desire Knowledge Natural No
A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Be Can Men Much Ought See Wise
There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Agree Bore Conversation Everybody One Thann
The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost; to be everywhere, is to be nowhere.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Everywhere Life Lost Nowhere Purpose Soil
Ambition is not a vice of little people.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Ambition Little People Vise
Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Bird Cage Desperate Get Inside Like Marriage One Out Outside Quality See
Nothing is so firmly believed as what we least know.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Believe Firmly Know Least Nothing
Stubborn and ardent clinging to one’s opinion is the best proof of stupidity.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Ardent Best Cange One Opinion Proof Stubborn Stupidy
A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Between God Husband Lind Marriage Wife
It is the mind that maketh good or ill, That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Good Maketh Mind Poor Rich Wretchm Happy
There is no passion so contagious as that of fear.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Contagious Fear Passion So That
The public weal requires that men should betray, and lie, and massacre.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Betray Lie Men Muscle Public Require World
We can be knowledgable with other men’s knowledge but we cannot be wise with other men’s wisdom.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Knowledge Length Life Make Them Value Wisdom
Let us not be ashamed to speak what we shame not to think.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Ashamed Let Not Speak Think
How many things we held yesterday as articles of faith which today we tell as fables.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Article Fable Faith Held Many Thing Today Yesterday
The prank of a page- boy, the blunder of a servant, a bit of table talk – they are all part of the curriculum.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Blunder Book Curriculum Page Prank Servant Table Talk
I care not so much what I am to others as what I am to myself. I will be rich by myself, and not by borrowing.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Borrow Care Much Myself Other Rich

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