Michel de Montaigne

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• Balance Influences to Maintain Independence

  Learning

  Excessive influence from a single mentor or hero can warp a person's individuality. One should balance one great influence with its opposite to maintain intellectual health and self-reliance.

  Source Representative Men: Seven Lectures  (opens in a new tab)

• Balance Unity and Variety

  Strategy

  Effective strategy requires reconciling the fundamental unity of a vision with the necessary diversity of practical action and execution.

  Source Representative Men: Seven Lectures  (opens in a new tab)

• The Danger of Perfectionism

  Productivity

  The desire for absolute perfection can be a disease that hinders practical progress and effective action in business.

  Source Representative Men: Seven Lectures  (opens in a new tab)

• The Power of Self-Registration

  Content

  Every action and experience naturally leaves a mark that can be captured and turned into a report or history.

  Source Representative Men: Seven Lectures  (opens in a new tab)

• Tighten control during crises

  Management

  When facing direct competition or danger, a leader must exercise stricter discipline to ensure the team remains focused and functional.

  Supporting quotes

  • “He was always wont to wear rich garments, and of a shining colour in battle, that he might be the more remarkable and better observed.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Prioritize character over glory

  Integrity

  The most excellent life is defined by consistent integrity and conscience, which outweigh military success or public fame.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 13  (opens in a new tab)

• Abundance fuels greed

  Wealth

  Avarice is not a product of poverty but often grows from having plenty, as the desire to protect and increase wealth expands.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 07  (opens in a new tab)

• Maintain composure under pressure

  Resilience

  A leader should cultivate a soul so elevated that even the most dangerous business risks are treated with the same calm as ordinary incidents.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 07  (opens in a new tab)

• Maintain Mental Greenness

  Resilience

  Even as the body declines, strive to keep the mind active and flourishing, refusing to let physical infirmity dictate one's entire outlook.

  Supporting quotes

  • “I had rather be a less while old than be old before I am really so.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Balance passion with prudence

  Mindset

  Extreme intensity can lead to irrationality; maintain a level of temperance to ensure the longevity and health of any endeavor.

  Supporting quotes

  • “Who will deprive the Muses of amorous imaginations, will rob them of the best entertainment they have, and of the noblest matter of their work”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Focus on Internal Will

  Mindset

  The true measure of an action lies in the intent and will of the person, rather than just the outward appearance or accidental outcomes.

  Supporting quotes

  • “Curiosity is vicious throughout; but 'tis pernicious here. 'Tis folly to examine into a disease for which there is no physic that does not inflame and make it worse”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Beware of Unconscious Imitation

  Learning

  The mind naturally mimics the habits and styles of those it observes closely, so choose your influences carefully to avoid adopting their vices or errors.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 15  (opens in a new tab)

• Trust Discretion Over Discipline

  Management

  Strict discipline cannot curb behavior throughout; it is more effective to leave conduct to an individual's own discretion and moderation.

  Supporting quotes

  • “There should be moderation in these things; one must leave a great deal of their conduct to their own discretion”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Verify quality before committing

  Management

  Always send representatives to scout and ascertain the best available options before settling on a choice or location.

  Supporting quotes

  • “he had no settled course, and that he merely proposed to himself to pay visits to places which he had not seen, and so long as they could not convict him of traversing the same path twice”

  1 more supporting quote is in the member records.

• Neutrality as a Leadership Tool

  Leadership

  Maintaining peace between opposing factions requires a leader to act with such fairness that they leave no cause for offense or hatred upon departure.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 01  (opens in a new tab)

• Preserve and leverage professional networks

  Brand

  One should actively maintain the memory and works of talented associates to strengthen current professional relationships and honor past excellence.

  Supporting quotes

  • “I prefer to be quiet rather than clever: give me content, even if I am not to be so wide in my range.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Judge actions by immediate context

  Decisions

  Evaluate a specific decision or behavior based on the immediate circumstances rather than searching for a deep-seated character trait.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 09  (opens in a new tab)

• Recognize the power of incentives

  Hiring

  A person's bravery or productivity often stems from their current needs or pains; once those are satisfied, their behavior will likely change.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 09  (opens in a new tab)

• Cultivate Adaptable Standards

  Resilience

  Being too delicate or picky about quality makes one vulnerable when the best is unavailable.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 09  (opens in a new tab)

• Guilt betrays itself

  Integrity

  Unethical behavior creates internal anxiety that eventually leads to self-sabotage or accidental confession, even without external witnesses.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 09  (opens in a new tab)