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This notion [skepticism] is more clearly understood by asking What do I know?

Michel de Montaigne

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Michel de Montaigne
Age: 59 †
Born: 1533
Born: February 28
Died: 1592
Died: September 13
Autobiographer
Essayist
French Moralist
Jurist
Philosopher
Poet Lawyer
Politician
Translator
Writer
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
Miquèu Eiquèm de Montanha
Miqueu Eiquem de Montanha
Clearly
Notion
Asking
Understood
Understanding
Skepticism

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Ambition is not a vice of little people.
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Our great and glorious masterpiece is to live appropriately.
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The truth of these days is not that which really is, but what every man persuades another man to believe.
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There is, nevertheless, a certain respect and a general duty of humanity that ties us, not only to beasts that have life and sense, but even to trees and plants.
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There is a plague on Man, the opinion that he knows something.
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The archer who overshoots his mark does no better than he who falls short of it.
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Poverty of goods is easily cured poverty of soul, impossible.
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I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of.
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It is a human tendency to measure truth and error by our capacity.
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The most ordinary things, the most common and familiar, if we could see them in their true light, would turn out to be the grandest miracles.
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I admire the assurance and confidence everyone has in himself, whereas there is hardly anything I am sure I know or that I dare give my word I can do.
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Satiety comes of too frequent repetition and he who will not give himself leisure to be thirsty can never find the true pleasure of drinking
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In his commerce with men I mean him to include- and that principally- those who live only in the memory of books. By means of history he will frequent those great souls of former years. If you want it to be so, history can be a waste of time it can also be, if you want it to be so, a study bearing fruit beyond price.
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To how many blockheads of my time has a cold and taciturn demeanor procured the credit of prudence and capacity!
Michel de Montaigne
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Some impose upon the world that they believe that which they do not others, more in number, make themselves believe that they believe, not being able to penetrate into what it is to believe.
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Wise people are foolish if they cannot adapt to foolish people.
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A man never speaks of himself without losing something. What he says in his disfavor is always beleived, but when he commends himself, he arouses mistrust.
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Who is it that does not voluntarily exchange his health, his repose, and his very life for reputation and glory? The most useless, frivolous, and false coin that passes current among us.
Michel de Montaigne
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Oh, what a valiant faculty is hope, that in a mortal subject, and in a moment, makes nothing of usurping infinity, immensity, eternity, and of supplying its masters indigence, at its pleasure, with all things he can imagine or desire!
Michel de Montaigne
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It would be better to have no laws at all, than to have too many.
Michel de Montaigne