30 phrases by Michel de Montaigne to meet the father of the personal essay

The way of salvation is in doubt, not in faith.

I don’t find any quality so easy to counterfeit as devotion.

It is only through words that human beings reach mutual understanding. Therefore, he who breaks his word betrays all human society.

He who bases his argument on scandal and quarrel shows that his reason is weak.

When I’m attacked by dark thoughts, nothing helps me as much as running to my books. They quickly absorb me and banish the clouds from my mind.

Sometimes it’s a good choice to choose nothing.

We may become learned with the knowledge of other men, but we cannot be wise with the wisdom of other men.

Wisdom is a solid and unique construction, in which each part has its place and leaves its mark.

We must never say everything, for that would be foolish; but it is essential that what is said corresponds to our thinking; otherwise, it is evil.

What I am to myself matters more than what I mean to others.

The word is half of the one who utters it and half of the one who hears it.

There are defeats more triumphant than victories.

The clearest proof of wisdom is constant joy.

Never in the world were two opinions alike, nor two hairs or grains. The most universal quality is diversity.

The reverse of the truth has ten thousand forms and an unlimited field.

Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself.

If you press me to say why I loved him, I can’t say more than because he was him and I was me.

Nothing is more firmly believed than what we know least.

To forbid us from anything is to make us think about it.

If there is a good marriage, it is because it is more like friendship than love.

Obsession is the source of genius and madness.

Let’s give nature a chance; she knows her business better than we do.

I speak the truth, not as much as I would like, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little more as I get older.

There have been a lot of terrible things in my life and most of them never happened.

The most fruitful and natural exercise for our minds is, in my opinion, conversation.

Every man has within himself the whole human condition.

I know the arms of friendship are long enough to go from one end of the world to the other.

Every movement reveals us.

Other people don’t see you at all, but guess through uncertain conjectures.

I’ve never seen a monster or miracle bigger than myself.