All the world knows me in my book, and my book in me.
Michel De MontaigneRead
All general judgments are loose and imperfect
Interpretation
What this quote means
General judgments tend to lack precision and accuracy.
Montaigne's quote highlights the inherent flaws in making broad or sweeping generalizations about people, situations, or concepts, suggesting that such judgments fail to capture the complexities and nuances of reality. It emphasizes the importance of understanding individual circumstances rather than relying on oversimplified conclusions.
Themes
JudgmentGeneralizationImperfectionNuancePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about societal norms, this quote could illustrate the complexity of human behavior.
More from Michel De Montaigne
All quotes βAll I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed.
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Pythagoras used to say that life resembles the Olympic Games: a few people strain their muscles to carry off a prize; others bring trinkets to sell to the crowd for gain; and some there are, and not the worst, who seek no other profit than to look at the show and see how and why everything is done; spectators of the life of other people in order to judge and regulate their own.
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There is not much less vexation in the government of a private family than in the managing of an entire state.
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Those who have compared our life to a dream were right... we were sleeping wake, and waking sleep.
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Such as are in immediate fear of a losing their estates, of banishment, or of slavery, live in perpetual anguish, and lose all appetite and repose; whereas such as are actually poor, slaves, or exiles, ofttimes live as merrily as other folk.
Michel De MontaigneRead
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