"The only good histories are those that have been written by the persons themselves who commanded in the affairs whereof they write."

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

React to this quote

More by Michel de Montaigne

See all

“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

"Absentee-ballot fraud in particular is difficult to control. It is ‘the tool of choice’ for those who are engaging in election fraud,’ as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded in its inv…"

— John H. Fund

Journalism1957

#justice

"The Labour party is intent on turning law-abiding and decent citizens into criminals by banning hunting - and we marched to stop that."

— Theresa May

Politics1956

#justice

"In victory and more especially in defeat, we should stand behind and be proud of Pacquiao. He has nothing to be ashamed of. Pacquiao gave it his all. It just so happened that Marquez was the better bo…"

— Francis Escudero

Politics1969

#justice

"Heaven helps those who help themselves" is a well-tried maxim, embodying in a small compass the results of vast human experience. The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the indiv…"

— Samuel Smiles

Literature1812–1904

#truth