Michel de Montaigne Quotes

My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.

Michel de Montaigne

Life My Life Never Most Been Full Happened Misfortunes Terrible Which Has-Been

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

Marriage Like Birds Inside Cage Desperate Equally Outside Sees Those Get Out

I have never seen a greater monster or miracle in the world than myself.

Michel de Montaigne

Myself World Never Miracle Greater Monster Seen Than

He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.

Michel de Montaigne

Who Argument He Reason Command Noise Shows Weak His

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.

Michel de Montaigne

Boring Conversation More Than Agree Everybody Where

It is good to rub and polish our brain against that of others.

Michel de Montaigne

Good Intelligence Brain Others Against Polish Rub Our

There are some defeats more triumphant than victories.

Michel de Montaigne

Failure More Some Than Defeats Triumphant Victories

Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself.

Michel de Montaigne

Yourself Brainy Others Give Lend

Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.

Michel de Montaigne

Courage Soul Legs Valor Arms Stability

Those who have compared our life to a dream were right... we were sleeping wake, and waking sleep.

Michel de Montaigne

Life Dreams Sleep Who Compared Dream Right Sleeping Those Wake Waking Were Our

I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly.

Michel de Montaigne

Education Reason Company Educated Incorrectly Peasants Prefer Sufficiently Because Been

Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.

Michel de Montaigne

Myself Being Events Govern Able

Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee.

Michel de Montaigne

Things Beyond Present Rejoice Else Thee

If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I.

Michel de Montaigne

Me You More Loved Say Him Press Valentine's Day Why I Can Because He Than

A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.

Michel de Montaigne

Good Wife Marriage Blind Between Deaf Good Marriage Husband Would Would-Be

Marriage, a market which has nothing free but the entrance.

Michel de Montaigne

Marriage Nothing Free Entrance Market Which

I quote others only in order the better to express myself.

Michel de Montaigne

Myself Better Only Others Express Order Quote

I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of.

Michel de Montaigne

I Am Know Search Well Am Fleeing

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

Myself I Am Care Rich Am Borrowing Others I Care Much Will

Death, they say, acquits us of all obligations.

Michel de Montaigne

Death They Say Us Say Obligations

Confidence in the goodness of another is good proof of one's own goodness.

Michel de Montaigne

Good Confidence Own Goodness Another Proof

I do myself a greater injury in lying than I do him of whom I tell a lie.

Michel de Montaigne

Myself Lie Tell Than Greater Him Injury Lying Whom

One may be humble out of pride.

Michel de Montaigne

Humble May Pride Be Humble Out

'Tis the sharpness of our mind that gives the edge to our pains and pleasures.

Michel de Montaigne

Mind Edge Our Pleasures Gives Pains Sharpness Tis

It is the mind that maketh good or ill, That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor.

Michel de Montaigne

Wisdom Good Mind Happy Ill Maketh Poor Rich Wretch

My trade and art is to live.

Michel de Montaigne

Life Art Live Trade

The world is but a perpetual see-saw.

Michel de Montaigne

World Perpetual

The entire lower world was created in the likeness of the higher world. All that exists in the higher world appears like an image in this lower world; yet all this is but One.

Michel de Montaigne

World Like Image Higher Appears Created Entire Exists Likeness Lower

Covetousness is both the beginning and the end of the devil's alphabet - the first vice in corrupt nature that moves, and the last which dies.

Michel de Montaigne

Nature Devil Beginning End Alphabet Both Corrupt Covetousness Dies First Last Moves Vice Which

I do not speak the minds of others except to speak my own mind better.

Michel de Montaigne

Mind Better Speak My Own Except Minds Others Own

A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can.

Michel de Montaigne

Wise Man Wise Man He Ought Sees Much

Once conform, once do what others do because they do it, and a kind of lethargy steals over all the finer senses of the soul.

Michel de Montaigne

Soul Others Because Once Conform Finer Kind Lethargy Over Senses Steals

There is a sort of gratification in doing good which makes us rejoice in ourselves.

Michel de Montaigne

Good Doing Us Doing Good Gratification Makes Ourselves Rejoice Sort Which

How many things we held yesterday as articles of faith which today we tell as fables.

Michel de Montaigne

Today Faith Yesterday Things Articles Fables Held Many Tell How Which

An untempted woman cannot boast of her chastity.

Michel de Montaigne

Woman Cannot Her Boast Chastity

We can be knowledgable with other men's knowledge but we cannot be wise with other men's wisdom.

Michel de Montaigne

Wisdom Wise Knowledge Men Cannot We Cannot Other

Nothing is so firmly believed as what we least know.

Michel de Montaigne

Nothing Know Least Firmly Believed

The public weal requires that men should betray, and lie, and massacre.

Michel de Montaigne

Men Lie Public Should Betray Massacre Requires

Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.

Michel de Montaigne

Memory Nothing Wish Forget Thing Intensely

Fame and tranquility can never be bedfellows.

Michel de Montaigne

Never Fame Tranquility Bedfellows

Let us permit nature to have her way. She understands her business better than we do.

Michel de Montaigne

Nature Business Better Way Her Let Us Permit She Understands Than Us

The strangest, most generous, and proudest of all virtues is true courage.

Michel de Montaigne

Courage True Most Virtues Generous Proudest Strangest True Courage

For truly it is to be noted, that children's plays are not sports, and should be deemed as their most serious actions.

Michel de Montaigne

Sports Children Serious Most Actions Deemed Noted Plays Should Truly

We only labor to stuff the memory, and leave the conscience and the understanding unfurnished and void.

Michel de Montaigne

Memory Understanding Only Leave Conscience Labor Stuff Void

Let us not be ashamed to speak what we shame not to think.

Michel de Montaigne

Think Speak Us Shame Ashamed Let Us

Age imprints more wrinkles in the mind than it does on the face.

Michel de Montaigne

Age Face Mind More Does Wrinkles Than

Michel de Montaigne Quotes

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