Quotes from Michel de Montaigne

Moreover, vulgar and casual opinions are something more than nothing in nature; and he who will not suffer himself to proceed so far, falls, peradventure, into the vice of obstinacy, to avoid that of superstition.

Our great and glorious masterpiece is to live appropriately.... The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness.

for as I know only too well from experience when we lose those we love there is no consolation sweeter than the knowledge of having remembered to tell them everything and to have enjoyed the most perfect and absolute communication with them.

Je souhaiterais bien avoir plus parfaite intelligence des choses, mais je ne la veux pas acheter si cher qu'elle coûte. Mon dessein et de passer doucement, et non laborieusement, ce qui me reste de vie.

Folly never thinks it has enough, even when it obtains what it desires, but Wisdom is happy with what is to hand and is never vexed with itself.]3

En la amistad, por el contrario, el calor es general, se distribuye por igual por todas partes, atemperado; un calor constante y tranquilo, todo dulzura y calma, libre de angustia o de aspereza.

Es la comunicación lo que alimenta la amistad, y esta no puede darse entre hijos y padres debido a la disparidad que existe entre ellos, y además, porque chocaría con los deberes que la naturaleza impone: ni los padres pueden contar a los hijos todos sus pensamientos íntimos, para no dar lugar a una confianza perjudicial y dañina, ni los hijos podrían dirigir a los padres las advertencias y correcciones que constituyen uno de los primeros deberes de la amistad.

El último extremo de la perfección en las relaciones que ligan a los humanos reside en la amistad;

I hail and caress truth in what quarter soever I find it, and cheerfully surrender myself, and open my conquered arms as far off as I can discover it; and, provided it be not too imperiously, take a pleasure in being reproved, and accommodate myself to my accusers, very often more by reason of civility than amendment, loving to gratify and nourish the liberty of admonition by my facility of submitting to it, and this even at my own expense.

I take so great a pleasure in being judged and known, that it is almost indifferent to me in which of the two forms I am so: my imagination so often contradicts and condemns itself, that 'tis all one to me if another do it, especially considering that I give his reprehension no greater authority than I choose; but I break with him, who carries himself so high, as I know of one who repents his advice, if not believed, and takes it for an affront if it be not immediately followed.

For my part, I shall take care, if I can, that my death discover nothing that my life has not first and openly declared.

Wie overal is, is nergens.

Il n'est desir plus naturel que le desir de connaissance.

El aparato no corresponde a la fiesta: el avaricioso se atormenta más que el pobre, y el celoso más que el cornudo.

Kun je ook maar iemand goed vinden als je niemand slecht vindt?

I have never seen greater monster or miracle in the world than myself: one grows familiar with all strange things by time and custom, but the more I frequent and the better I know myself, the more does my own deformity astonish me, the less I understand myself.

Als ik mijn mening te berde breng, is dat om te laten zien hoever mijn blik reikt, niet wat de reikwijdte van de dingen is.

Door het ruimtelijk van elkaar gescheiden zijn werd onze innerlijke verbondenheid rijker.

Hay días en que me siento dispuesto a hacerlo todo y otros en que me siento incapaz de hacer nada; lo que ahora me es grato, en ocasiones suele desagradarme.

Gjør vi ikke oss selv til dyr når vi kaller den handling som skaper oss dyrisk?

La parole est à moitié à celui qui écoute, et à moitié à celui qui parle.

All other knowledge is hurtful to him who has not the science of goodness.

ved sin bydende autoritet sløver og fordummer den all Platons samlede teologi og filosofi; likevel gir han ikke fra seg et kny. Overalt ellers kan man bevare en viss anstendighet; alle andre aktiviteter finner seg i sømmelighetsregler, men kjærlighetsakten kan man bare forestille seg som lastefull eller komisk. Bare prøv å finne en klok og behersket måte å bedrive den på.

it is myself I paint. My