Michel de Montaigne Quotes

Experience shows us Wealth unchaperoned by Virtue is never an innocuous neighbor.

After all, why be good? How many will actually believe it of us?

Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.

It is impossible to deny that dishonest men often grow rich and famous, becoming powerful in their parish or in parliament. Their portraits grace shop windows; and they live and die respected. This success is theirs; yet it is not the success which a noble soul will envy.

Generosity is a virtue, but unlimited generosity is a fast route to bankruptcy.

The only word for goodness is goodness, and it is not enough.

Obey thy parents, keep thy word justly; swear not; commit not with man's sworn spouse; set not thy sweet heart on proud array. * * * Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy pen from lenders' books.

The thief steals from himself. The swindler swindles himself. For the real price is knowledge and virtue, whereof wealth and credit are signs. These signs, like paper money, may be counterfeited or stolen, but that which they represent, namely, knowledge and virtue, cannot be counterfeited or stolen.

[T]here is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists . . . an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness.

All the gold upon the earth and all the gold beneath it, does not compensate for lack of virtue.

He cannot be vertuous that is not rigorous.

I have seen men incapable of the sciences, but never any incapable of virtue.

If any man should conceive certain things as being really good, such as prudence, temperance, justice, fortitude, he would not after having first conceived these endure to listen to anything which should not be in harmony with what is really good.

There is but on virtue--the eternal sacrifice of self.

Content not thyself that thou art virtuous in the general; for one link being wanting, the chain is defective.

To be good and disagreeable is high treason against the royalty of virtue.

When some English moralists write about the importance of having character, they appear to mean only the importance of having a dull character.

I am astonished at the pleasure one experiences in doing good; and I should be tempted to believe that what we call virtuous people have not so much merit as they lead us to suppose.

The Crucifixion and other historical precedents notwithstanding, many of us still believe that outstanding goodness is a kind of armor, that virtue, seen plain and bare, gives pause to criminality. But perhaps it is the other way around.

Let thy virtue be too high for the familiarity of names, and if thou must speak of it, be not ashamed to stammer about it.

The finest defense of character is correct action. Acquaint yourself with virtue, and you can expect proper treatment from those around you.

Be studious in your profession, and you will be learned. Be industrious and frugal, and you will be rich. Be sober and temperate, and you will be healthy. Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy.

He who possesses greatness is cruel towards his secondary virtues and considerations.