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Human understanding is marvellously enlightened by daily conversation with men, for we are, otherwise, compressed and heaped up in ourselves, and have our sight limited to the length of our own noses.

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
Daily
Otherwise
Marvellously
Sight
Heaped
Conversation
Compressed
Understanding
Noses
Human
Enlightened
Humans
Length
Men
Limited

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How often our involuntary facial motions testify to the thoughts we were keeping secret, and betray us to those around!
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The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts, and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible.
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Nobody is exempt from saying stupid things, the harm is to do it presumptuously.
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If I am to serve as an instrument of deceit, at least let it be with a clear conscience. I do not want to be considered either so affectionate or so loyal a servant as to be found fit to betray anyone.
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Judgement holds in me a magisterial seat, at least it carefully tries to. It lets my feelings go their way, both hatred and friendship, even the friendship I bear myself, without being changed and corrupted by them.
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And to bring in a new word by the head and shoulders, they leave out the old one.
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And truly Philosophy is but sophisticated poetry. Whence do those ancient writers derive all their authority but from the poets?
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The great and glorious masterpiece of men is to live to the point. All other things-to reign, to hoard, to build-are, at most, but inconsiderable props and appendages.
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It is only reasonable to allow the administration of affairs to mothers before their children reach the age prescribed by law at which they themselves can be responsible. But that father would have reared them ill who could not hope that in their maturity they would have more wisdom and competence than his wife.
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No doctor takes pleasure in the health even of his friends.
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Once conform, once do what others do because they do it, and a kind of lethargy steals over all the finer senses of the soul.
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... whoever believes anything esteems that it is a work of charity to persuade another of it.
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Fortune does us neither good nor hurt she only presents us the matter, and the seed, which our soul, more powerfully than she, turns and applies as she best pleases being the sole cause and sovereign mistress of her own happy or unhappy condition.
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Men are tormented by the opinions they have of things, and not the things themselves.
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Men are nothing until they are excited.
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There never were, in the world, two opinions alike, no more than two hairs, or two grains the most universal quality is diversity.
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Nor is it enough to toughen up his soul you must also toughen up his muscles.
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The strength of any plan depends on the time. Circumstances and things eternally shift and change.
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The souls of emperors and cobblers are cast in the same mould
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Gentleness and repose are paramount to everything else in woman.
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