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All general judgments are loose and imperfect
Michel De Montaigne
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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.

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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.
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Quote by Michel De Montaigne | QuoteProject