Seeing that the Senses cannot decide our dispute, being themselves full of uncertainty, we must have recourse to Reason; there is no reason but must be built upon another reason: so here we are retreating backwards to infinity.
Michel de Montaigne
Reason, Senses, Knowledge, Philosophy, Uncertainty
Michel de Montaigne’s Quotes On Topics
Compilation | Self-knowledge | Customs | Discretion | Emotional Depth | Emptiness | Posterity | Quotation | Heart | Heroism | Personality | Order | Debate | Contrast | Seriousness | Free Will | Present Moment | Fortune | Intellectual Stimulation | Forbidden | More
More Michel de Montaigne Quotes
“Natural inclinations are assisted and reinforced by education, but they are hardly ever altered or overcome.” Michel de Montaigne
Nature, Nurture, Education, Personality, Human Development
Michel de Montaigne Nature, Nurture, Education, Personality, Human Development“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
Self-worth, Independence, Wealth, Character, Individuality
Michel de Montaigne Self-worth, Independence, Wealth, Character, Individuality“The knowledge of courtesy and good manners is a very necessary study. It is like grace and beauty, that which begets liking and an inclination to love one another at the first sight.” Michel de Montaigne
Courtesy, Manners, Social Skills, Relationships, Human Nature
Michel de Montaigne Courtesy, Manners, Social Skills, Relationships, Human Nature“Everyone calls barbarity what he is not accustomed to.” Michel de Montaigne
Cultural Relativism, Prejudice, Perspective, Human Nature, Societal Norms
Michel de Montaigne Cultural Relativism, Prejudice, Perspective, Human Nature, Societal Norms“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” Michel de Montaigne
Self-ownership, Independence, Self-awareness, Individuality, Personal Freedom
Michel de Montaigne Self-ownership, Independence, Self-awareness, Individuality, Personal Freedom“Nature has made us a present of a broad capacity for entertaining ourselves apart, and often calls us to do so, to teach us that we owe ourselves in part to society, but in the best part to ourselves.” Michel de Montaigne
Nature, Solitude, Society, Self-reliance, Human Nature
Michel de Montaigne Nature, Solitude, Society, Self-reliance, Human Nature“If my intentions were not to be read in my eyes and voice, I should not have survived so long without quarrels and without harm, seeing the indiscreet freedom with which I say, right or wrong, whatever comes into my head.” Michel de Montaigne
Honesty, Communication, Survival, Social Interaction, Self-awareness
Michel de Montaigne Honesty, Communication, Survival, Social Interaction, Self-awareness“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“It is not without good reason, that he who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying.” Michel de Montaigne
Lying, Memory, Honesty, Human Nature, Wisdom
Michel de Montaigne Lying, Memory, Honesty, Human Nature, Wisdom“Health is a precious thing, and the only one, in truth, meriting that a man should lay out not only his time, sweat, labor and goods, but also life itself to obtain it.” Michel de Montaigne
Health, Value, Priorities, Life, Human Nature
Michel de Montaigne Health, Value, Priorities, Life, Human Nature“The honor of the conquest is rated by the difficulty.” Michel de Montaigne
Achievement, Challenge, Honor, Effort, Human Motivation
Michel de Montaigne Achievement, Challenge, Honor, Effort, Human Motivation“My appetite comes to me while eating.” Michel de Montaigne
Appetite, Action, Human Nature, Experience, Desire
Michel de Montaigne Appetite, Action, Human Nature, Experience, Desire“If ordinary people complain that I speak too much of myself, I complain that they do not even think of themselves.” Michel de Montaigne
Self-reflection, Criticism, Human Nature, Introspection, Social Commentary
Michel de Montaigne Self-reflection, Criticism, Human Nature, Introspection, Social Commentary“Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself.” Michel de Montaigne
Self-care, Relationships, Balance, Wisdom, Individuality
Michel de Montaigne Self-care, Relationships, Balance, Wisdom, Individuality“If faces were not alike, we could not distinguish men from beasts; if they were not different, we could not tell one man from another.” Michel de Montaigne
Individuality, Similarity, Identity, Human Nature, Perception
Michel de Montaigne Individuality, Similarity, Identity, Human Nature, Perception“My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened.” Michel de Montaigne
Worry, Imagination, Life, Human Nature, Perspective
Michel de Montaigne Worry, Imagination, Life, Human Nature, Perspective“We are, I know not how, double in ourselves, so that what we believe we disbelieve, and cannot rid ourselves of what we condemn.” Michel de Montaigne
Human Nature, Contradiction, Belief, Self-awareness, Psychology
Michel de Montaigne Human Nature, Contradiction, Belief, Self-awareness, Psychology“Every man bears the whole stamp of the human condition.” Michel de Montaigne
Human Condition, Universality, Individuality, Existence, Philosophy
Michel de Montaigne Human Condition, Universality, Individuality, Existence, Philosophy