"I moreover affirm that our wisdom itself, and wisest consultations, for the most part commit themselves to the conduct of chance."

Michel de Montaigne Philosophy See all quotes by Michel de Montaigne →

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“The day of your birth is one day’s advance towards the grave.”

“All the opinions of the world agree in this, that pleasure is our end.”

“Je veux que la mort me trouve plantant mes choux.”

“He who should teach men to die would at the same time teach them to live.”

“C'est ce de quoi j'ai le plus de peur que la peur.”

“We are, I know not how, double in ourselves, which is the cause that what we believe we do not believe, and cannot disengage ourselves from what we condemn.”

Resonant Thoughts

"Perhaps our ultimate understanding of scientific topics is measured in terms of our ability to generate metaphoric pictures of what is going on. Maybe understanding is coming up with metaphoric pictur…"

— Per Bak

Science1948–2002

#wisdom

"Art does not imitate, but interpret. It searches out the idea lying dormant in the symbol, in order to present the symbol to men in such form as to enable them to penetrate through it to the idea. Wer…"

— Giuseppe Mazzini

Politics1805–1872

#wisdom

"One would like to leave behind a glorious reputation for surpassing wisdom and character, but careful reflection will show that what we mean by love of a glorious reputation is delight in the approbat…"

— Yoshida Kenkō

Literature1283–1350

#love