All the world knows me in my book, and my book in me.
Michel De MontaigneRead
Our wisdom and deliberation for the most part follow the lead of chance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our decisions often rely on unforeseen circumstances rather than our rational thought.
This quote by Michel De Montaigne suggests that, despite our best efforts to make wise and deliberate choices, much of our decision-making is influenced by chance events and serendipity. It implies that life is unpredictable, and our rationality can sometimes take a backseat to the whims of fortune, shaping our paths in ways we may not fully control or foresee.
Themes
WisdomChanceDecision-MakingFortuneUnpredictability
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on decision-making, this quote can be used to highlight the impact of unexpected events on our choices.
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.
Michel De MontaigneRead
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.
Michel De MontaigneRead
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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