Prioritize personal peace over ceremony
MindsetDo not let social expectations or rigid formalities enslave your daily life; it is better to simplify rules than to live in constant stress.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Hall of Masters
Michel de Montaigne
미셸 드 몽테뉴
Philosophy and wisdom traditions1533-1592
French writer who invented the essay
1,105 records in all
- Principles 358
- Episodes 243
- Quotes 504
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Principles
54 basic records of 358
Principles are our summary of their public statements.
Consult the expert's core domain
LearningAlways direct conversations toward a person's specific area of expertise to gain the most useful and accurate information.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Test natural understanding
HiringInstead of testing rote memorization, focus on universal questions that reveal a person's natural judgment and reasoning abilities.
Supporting quotes
I never yet saw that father, but let his son be never so decrepit or deformed, would not, notwithstanding, own him
I never seriously settled myself to the reading any book of solid learning but Plutarch and Seneca
Source Michel de Montaigne Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 05, 1877 (opens in a new tab)
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
Encourage Active Participation
LeadershipA mentor should not just lecture but listen to the student, allowing them to discern and choose things for themselves.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Seek diverse perspectives through travel
LearningTravel should be used to sharpen one's wits against others and to understand the customs and laws of different nations, not for superficial sightseeing.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Integrate Learning Into Life
LearningTrue wisdom is not confined to a desk; it should be applicable at the table, in the garden, and in company.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Avoid rigid compulsion
ManagementViolence and strict compulsion dull the spirit; instead, use gentle methods to allure people toward growth and discipline.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Avoid Affectation in Professional Style
BrandStudying unusual phrases or artificial manners often stems from a desire for status rather than a desire to be understood.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Beware of self-importance bias
MindsetAvoid the trap of thinking the world or market revolves around your personal success or failure. Recognize that the universe is indifferent to your individual actions.
Supporting quotes
Few men come to die in the opinion that it is their latest hour; and there is nothing wherein the flattery of hope more deludes us
it is no such great matter for a man in health and in a temperate state of mind to resolve to kill himself
Source Michel de Montaigne Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 11, 1580 (opens in a new tab)
Value self-assessment over external fame
MindsetExternal reputation is often based on luck or false appearances; true success is found in being satisfied with one's own heart and actions.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Avoid the trap of familiarity
DecisionsPeople tend to undervalue what they own and overvalue what is foreign or absent simply because of possession.
Supporting quotes
I do not value myself upon any other account than because I know my own value.
Source Michel de Montaigne Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 11 (opens in a new tab)
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Master the soul before wealth
WealthContentment is a skill of the mind rather than a result of abundance, as the desire for riches often grows with their use.
Supporting quotes
I am of something lower than the middle stature, a defect that not only borders upon deformity, but carries withal a great deal of inconvenience along with it, especially for those who are in office and command
My hands are so clumsy that I cannot even write so as to read it myself, so that I had rather do what I have scribbled over again, than take upon me the trouble to make it out.
Source Michel de Montaigne Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 11 (opens in a new tab)
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
True greatness lies in order
MindsetThe worth of a mind is not found in reaching for extreme heights but in maintaining order and knowing how to limit oneself within sufficiency.
Seek Causes Through Comparison
LearningOne should constantly compare facts and diverse perspectives to re-edify reason and find the underlying causes of things.
Practice Spontaneous Self-Expression
ContentWriting with sincere self-revelation allows others to find their own thoughts reflected in the work, creating a lasting influence.
Use public declarations as constraints
FocusPublicly stating one's values and habits acts as a self-imposed rule that forces consistency and prevents backsliding.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Accept the Limits of Control
MindsetA person is master only of their will and intentions, while the actual performance and final effects are often governed by fortune.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Judge by reason over report
DecisionsDecisions should be based on the eye of reason rather than common opinion or vulgar trust.
Supporting quotes
Reserve a backshop, wholly our own and entirely free
Nothing is so firmly believed, as what we least know
Source Michel de Montaigne Widger's Quotations from the Project Gutenberg Editions of the Works of Montaigne (opens in a new tab)
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
Adapt to the Common Reality
StrategySuccess requires accommodating one's wisdom to the common standards and people one deals with.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Seek Antidotes to Groupthink
MindsetPeople naturally assimilate to the ideas of their contemporaries and peers, which limits their growth. To transcend these errors, one must study great figures from different times or cultures who hold to universal ideas.
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