Any person of honor chooses rather to lose his honor than to lose his conscience.
Michel de Montaigne
Honor, Conscience, Morality, Choice, Integrity
Michel de Montaigne’s Quotes On Topics
Courtesy | Presence | Self-opinion | Solace | Naturalness | Pleasure | Stubbornness | Sufficiency | Possession | Foresight | Gifts | Inspiration | Storytelling | Human Relationships | Adaptation | Everyday Life | Courage | Expectation | Healing | Obstinacy | More
More Michel de Montaigne Quotes
“The least strained and most natural ways of the soul are the most beautiful; the best occupations are the least forced.” Michel de Montaigne
Naturalness, Beauty, Occupation, Authenticity, Human Nature
Michel de Montaigne Naturalness, Beauty, Occupation, Authenticity, Human Nature“No one but yourself knows whether you are cowardly and cruel, or loyal and devout; others do not see you; they surmise you by uncertain conjectures; they perceive not so much your nature as your art.” Michel de Montaigne
Self-knowledge, Perception, Judgment, Human Nature, Appearance
Michel de Montaigne Self-knowledge, Perception, Judgment, Human Nature, Appearance“Oh senseless man, who cannot possibly make a worm or a flea and yet will create Gods by the dozen!” Michel de Montaigne
Religion, Human Nature, Creation, Hubris, Irony
Michel de Montaigne Religion, Human Nature, Creation, Hubris, Irony“We imagine much more appropriately an artisan on his toilet seat or on his wife than a great president, venerable by his demeanor and his ability. It seems to us that they do not stoop from their lofty thrones even to live.” Michel de Montaigne
Perception, Power, Human Nature, Equality, Critique
Michel de Montaigne Perception, Power, Human Nature, Equality, Critique“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
Communication, Pleasure, Thoughts, Loneliness, Human Connection
Michel de Montaigne Communication, Pleasure, Thoughts, Loneliness, Human Connection“One should always have one's boots on and be ready to leave.” Michel de Montaigne
Readiness, Adaptability, Life Philosophy, Wisdom, Human Nature
Michel de Montaigne Readiness, Adaptability, Life Philosophy, Wisdom, Human Nature“We judge a horse not only by its pace on a racecourse, but also by its walk, nay, when resting in its stable.” Michel de Montaigne
Judgment, Character, Perception, Holistic View, Human Nature
Michel de Montaigne Judgment, Character, Perception, Holistic View, Human Nature“To make judgements about great and lofty things, a soul of the same stature is needed; otherwise we ascribe to them that vice which is our own.” Michel de Montaigne
Judgment, Greatness, Perception, Human Nature, Self-awareness
Michel de Montaigne Judgment, Greatness, Perception, Human Nature, Self-awareness“This idea is more surely understood by interrogation; WHAT DO I KNOW? which I bear as my motto with the emblem of a pair of scales.” Michel de Montaigne
Knowledge, Questioning, Wisdom, Philosophy, Self-awareness
Michel de Montaigne Knowledge, Questioning, Wisdom, Philosophy, Self-awareness“The strangest, most generous, and proudest of all virtues is true courage.” Michel de Montaigne
Courage, Virtue, Human Nature, Valor, Character
Michel de Montaigne Courage, Virtue, Human Nature, Valor, Character“We are Christians by the same title as we are natives of Perigord or Germany.” Michel de Montaigne
Religion, Nationality, Identity, Human Nature, Cultural Influence
Michel de Montaigne Religion, Nationality, Identity, Human Nature, Cultural Influence“A man should ever be ready booted to take his journey.” Michel de Montaigne
Readiness, Journey, Life, Preparedness, Wisdom
Michel de Montaigne Readiness, Journey, Life, Preparedness, Wisdom“When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not amusing herself with me more than I with her.” Michel de Montaigne
Play, Perspective, Animals, Human Nature, Philosophy
Michel de Montaigne Play, Perspective, Animals, Human Nature, Philosophy“The world is all a carcass and vanity, The shadow of a shadow, a play And in one word, just nothing.” Michel de Montaigne
World, Vanity, Emptiness, Philosophy, Human Condition
Michel de Montaigne World, Vanity, Emptiness, Philosophy, Human Condition“A volunteer, you assign yourself specific roles and risks according to your judgement of their brilliance and importance, and you see when life itself may be justifiably devoted to them.” Michel de Montaigne
Volunteering, Judgment, Risk, Purpose, Life Choices
Michel de Montaigne Volunteering, Judgment, Risk, Purpose, Life Choices“The souls of emperors and cobblers are cast in the same mold. The same reason that makes us wrangle with a neighbor creates a war betwixt princes.” Michel de Montaigne
Equality, Human Nature, Conflict, Social Hierarchy, Universality
Michel de Montaigne Equality, Human Nature, Conflict, Social Hierarchy, Universality“God is favorable to those whom he makes to die by degrees; 'tis the only benefit of old age. The last death will be so much the less painful: it will kill but a quarter of a man or but half a one at most.” Michel de Montaigne
Aging, Death, God, Perspective, Human Condition
Michel de Montaigne Aging, Death, God, Perspective, Human Condition“It is not death, it is dying that alarms me.” Michel de Montaigne
Death, Fear, Human Nature, Mortality, Wisdom
Michel de Montaigne Death, Fear, Human Nature, Mortality, Wisdom