Michel de Montaigne Quotes

I consider myself a fairly ethical individual while I do have a lot of dichotomies within me. We're all victims of our own hypocrisy at times.

It is his restraint that is honorable to a person, not their liberty.

A person is born with desires of the eyes and ears, and a liking for beautiful sights and sounds. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to immorality and lack of restriction, and any ritual principles and propriety will be abandoned.

Temptation to behave is terrible.

The New England conscience does not stop you from doing what you shouldn't-it just stops you from enjoying it.

I deserve respect for the things I did not do.

The art of living consists in knowing which impulses to obey and which must be made to obey.

Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence from the things that are foul.

The most dangerous thing you can do is to take any one impulse of your own nature and set it up as the thing you ought to follow at all costs. There's not one of them which won't make us into devils if we set it up as an absolute guide. You might think love of humanity in general was safe, but it isn't. If you leave out justice you'll find yourself breaking agreements and faking evidence in trials "for the sake of humanity" and become in the end a cruel and treacherous man.

Everyone assumes I practise all of my own laws but I don't. I think anybody who did would be a horrible ugly person to be around.

Every man's conscience is vile and depraved / You cannot depend on it to be your guide when it’s you who must keep it satisfied.

Modesty, that perennial flower planted instinctively in the human breast, blooms therein only as continence guards and virtue keeps.

Moderation is a virtue only in those who are thought to have an alternative.

I am not allowing myself to get carried away.

Protect me from what I want.

Guilt is the price we pay willingly for doing what we are going to do anyway.

One never knows whether people have principles on principle or whether for their own personal satisfaction.

I really wanted to be nasty and mean and bad. It's so much easier than being the good girl.

People talk about the conscience, but it seems to me one must just bring it up to a certain point and leave it there. You can let your conscience alone if you're nice to the second housemaid.

Virtue would go far if vanity did not keep it company.

Man is free; yet we must not suppose that he is at liberty to do everything he pleases, for he becomes a slave the moment he allows his actions to be ruled by passion.

First, Resolve upon, and daily endeavour to practise, a life of seriousness and strict sobriety.

Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so.

Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.

We can endure neither our vices nor the remedies for them.