When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not amusing herself with me more than I with her.
To judge the appearances we receive of things, we should need a judicatory instrument; to verify this instrument, we should need a demonstration; to rectify this demonstration, we should need an instrument: so here we are arguing in a circle. Seeing 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 all eternity.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, "Apology for Raimund Sebond"
Few men are admired by their servants.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, Selected Essays
The birth of all things is weak and tender; and therefore we should have our eyes intent on beginnings.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, Essays
How many things served us yesterday for articles of faith, which today are fables for us?
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, The Complete Essays
Fortune, seeing that she could not make fools wise, has made them lucky.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, attributed, Quote Junkie: Philosophy Edition
I find I am much prouder of the victory I obtain over myself, when, in the very ardor of dispute, I make myself submit to my adversary’s force of reason, than I am pleased with the victory I obtain over him through his weakness.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, The Complete Essays
There are some defeats more triumphant than victories.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, Essays
A wise man loses nothing, if he but save himself.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, Essays
It is a disaster that wisdom forbids you to be satisfied with yourself and always sends you away dissatisfied and fearful, whereas stubbornness and foolhardiness fill their hosts with joy and assurance.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, The Complete Essays
Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a worm, and yet he will be making gods by dozens.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, The Complete Essays
As an enemy is made more fierce by our flight, so pain grows proud to see us truckle under it; she will surrender upon much better terms to those who make head against us.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, attributed, Day's Collacon
Necessity is a violent school-mistress.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, Essays
Let an understanding man imagine human nature originally produced without the sense of sight, and consider what ignorance and trouble such a defect would bring upon him, what a darkness and blindness in the soul; he will then see by that of how great importance to the knowledge of truth would be the privation of such another sense, or of two or three, should we be so deprived.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, attributed, Day's Collacon
