Michel de Montaigne

"There is nothing noble about superiority unless it is used to uplift others."

"The human condition is an everlasting contradiction between what we desire and what we are able to achieve."

"Curiosity is the greatest virtue of age; without it, we are merely waiting to die."

"The mind of a man is more complicated than the structure of the heavens."

"To forbid us anything is to make us want it."

"We deceive ourselves more often than we are deceived by others."

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge."

"Conscience is a thousand witnesses."

"In friendship, one should be blind to faults and keen to virtues."

"The rarer the friendship, the more one wonders at its existence."

"Not to go backward is somewhat to go forward."

"Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, and a tragedy for the poor."

"To abstain from judgment about an uncertain matter is the height of wisdom."

"The most universal quality is diversity."

"By doubting we come to examine, and by examining we perceive truth."

"There is nothing as bold as ignorance and nothing as cautious as knowledge."

"Man is always prey to his truths; once he admits them, he cannot free himself from them."

"The great and glorious masterpiece of man is knowing how to live to purpose."

"If you do not know how to die, do not concern yourself; Nature will teach you the moment you need it."

"The most certain sign of wisdom is good humor."

"Friendship is a divine gift that cannot be bought or forced into being."

"Imagination is more powerful than facts in shaping human reality."

"To laugh at something is sometimes to understand it better and accept it more easily."

"Fear is a very dark and narrow place; wisdom chooses the light."

"The first law of true love is in learning to live for another without losing yourself."

"Every man is a debtor to his time for the knowledge he has gained from others."

"True greatness consists not in being great, but in becoming small enough to serve others."

"Silence and modesty are very valuable qualities in conversation."

"We ought to make the best use of the life that is given to us."

"The fault of a friend is often the consequence of his having superior qualities."