Quotes by Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De

"In plain truth, lying is an accursed vice. We are not men, nor have any other tie upon another, but by our word."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on lies and lying   

"Lying is a terrible vice, it testifies that one despises God, but fears men."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on lies and lying   

"My art and profession is to live."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on life   

"The finest lives in my opinion are the common model, without miracle and without extravagance."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on life   

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

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on argument
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"No profession or occupation is more pleasing than the military; a profession or exercise both noble in execution (for the strongest, most generous and proudest of all virtues is true valor) and noble in its cause. No utility either more just or universal than the protection of the repose or defense of the greatness of one's country. The company and daily conversation of so many noble, young and active men cannot but be well-pleasing to you."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on army and navy   

"The word is half his that speaks, and half his that hears it."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on listening   

"We cannot do without it, and yet we disgrace and vilify the same. It may be compared to a cage, the birds without despair to get in, and those within despair to get out."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on marriage   

"Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside desperate to get out."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on marriage   

"If there is such a thing as a good marriage, it is because it resembles friendship rather than love."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on marriage
6 fans of this quote   

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

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on marriage   

"I was not long since in a company where I was not who of my fraternity brought news of a kind of pills, by true account, composed of a hundred and odd several ingredients; whereat we laughed very heartily, and made ourselves good sport; for what rock so hard were able to resist the shock or withstand the force of so thick and numerous a battery?"

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on medicine   

"The memory represents to us not what we choose but what it pleases."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on memory   

"He who has not a good memory should never take upon himself the trade of lying."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on memory   

"It is much more easy to accuse the one sex than to excuse the other."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on men   

"The most unhappy and frail creatures are men and yet they are the proudest."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on men   

"I have never seen a greater monster or miracle than myself."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on miracles   

"My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on misfortunes
3 fans of this quote   

"Taking it all in all, I find it is more trouble to watch after money than to get it."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on money   

"Let Nature have her way; she understands her business better than we do."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on nature   

"There never was in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains. The most universal quality is diversity."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on opinions   

"I care not so much what I am in the opinion of others, as what I am in my own; I would be rich of myself and not by borrowing."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on opinions   

"It happens as one sees in cages: the birds who are outside despair of ever getting in, and those within are equally desirous of getting out"

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on opposites   

"There is no course of life so weak and Scottish as that which is ordered by orders, method, and discipline."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on order   

"Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on patience   

"Philosophy is doubt."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on philosophers and philosophy   

"Scratching is one of nature's sweetest gratifications, and the one nearest at hand."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on pleasure   

"I conceive that pleasures are to be avoided if greater pains be the consequence, and pains to be coveted that will terminate in greater pleasures."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on pleasure   

"It is easier to write an indifferent poem than to understand a good one."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on poetry and poets   

"I consider myself an average man, except in the fact that I consider myself an average man."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on averages   

"Once you have decided to keep a certain pile, it is no longer yours; for you can't spend it."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on possessions   

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

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on potential   

"Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on poverty and the poor
3 fans of this quote   

"There are few men who dare to publish to the world the prayers they make to Almighty God."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on prayer   

"The worthiest man to be known, and for a pattern to be presented to the world, he is the man of whom we have most certain knowledge. He hath been declared and enlightened by the most clear-seeing men that ever were; the testimonies we have of him are in faithfulness and sufficiency most admirable."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on public   

"We endeavor more that men should speak of us, than how and what they speak, and it sufficeth us that our name run in men's mouths, in what manner soever. It stemma that to be known is in some sort to have life and continuance in other men's keeping."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on publicity   

"The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost; to be everywhere, is to be nowhere."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on purpose
3 fans of this quote   

"The great and glorious masterpiece of man is how to live with purpose."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on purpose   

"The same reason that makes us chide and brawl and fall out with any of our neighbors, causeth a war to follow between Princes."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on quarrels   

"I quote others in order to better express myself."

Montaigne, Michel Eyquem De on quotations
9 fans of this quote