The philosopher of philosophers who have had the greatest influence on humanity in history,
Better than the 'better life' left by Michel de Montaigne
Life Q&A for Living Your Own Life

“In the midst of the whirlwind of life,
“Solid reasoning begins only with ‘me.’”

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), a French philosopher of the Renaissance era, left his judicial post at the age of thirty-eight and set up his own study in the Château de Montaigne. There, he stayed, escaping the pace of the world and filling his time with thought, silence, reading, and writing, quieting the external noise and listening to his inner voice.
His thinking was not a philosophy to persuade anyone, but an inner technique to protect oneself and live one's life.
The book that was born that way is 『Essais』.
"Essays" are records that must be read to live today, traces of persistent thinking to understand oneself, and a technique for maintaining one's inner center even in the midst of wavering.


Montaigne does not present a grand philosophical system or a complete theory.
He reflected on his daily life, wrote down the questions that arose in his mind, and explored the essence of existence by recording the inherent anxieties, losses, and contradictions of human nature while controlling his wavering mind with thought.
His thinking has deeply inspired and influenced numerous philosophers and thinkers, including Pascal, Descartes, Nietzsche, Emerson, and Schopenhauer.
Nietzsche said, “It was only after reading Montaigne that I began to understand human thought,” and Emerson said, “Montaigne is my friend and mentor.
“He is half of my spirit,” he confessed.


"Montaigne, The Power of Thought" is a book about the power of thought that allows me to live my life as myself even in the midst of uncertainty, by reconnecting Montaigne's profound questions to us today.
This book begins by questioning existence, the starting point of thought. It talks about how to protect one's inner self even in a life swayed by the world's standards and those of others, how to transform one's perception and become flexible through thought in the face of change, and how to hold on to life firmly by thinking about and reflecting on death.
The 'Thoughts of the Day' section, located throughout each chapter, encourages deep conversations with oneself through time for reflection and questioning, while pondering Montaigne's sentences.

If you're losing yourself amidst change and uncertainty, if you want to design your own life, not by others' standards, if you want to enrich your life through philosophical thought and reflection, if you ultimately want to live a "life true to yourself" rather than a "better life," this book will resonate deeply as a life guide that illuminates your own path to thought.

We are so busy with our lives that we too often forget ourselves.
To us, Montaigne says this:
“Look inside yourself.
Want to know who you are?
If your mind and will are scattered and exhausted, bring them back in.
“You are wasting yourself now.”
Looking within begins with stopping.
Take a step back and look at me.
Now, I ask myself whether this life is truly in line with my intentions.
Montaigne reflected on himself every day.
What I found inside was vanity, anxiety, and a fragile self swayed by moods.
Real life begins with that recognition.
Accepting myself as I am is the first step to increasing the density of my life.
---From "Before doing anything, let's first ask about 'existence'"

Montaigne believed that humans are not fixed beings, but constantly changing beings.
He criticized the attitude of humans who are often obsessed with their own tendencies and temperaments and mistakenly believe that they are themselves.
We often say, “This is just the way I am,” and we set boundaries and confine ourselves.
But such stereotypes are not reality, but merely repeated self-assurances.
(…) What am I like now?
Is this really the person I want to be? Or is this the person I've created to avoid past habits, the expectations of others, and failure? Saying, "This is just how I am," preserves familiarity, but blocks a new me.
Now is the best time to change.
---From "The unwillingness to change imprisons me"

There are things in life that I cannot change no matter how hard I try.
Like an unexpected event, an unexpected relationship shake-up, or an unprepared break-up.
In moments like that, it becomes more important to refine myself than to try to hold on to the world.
If you can't control the outside, at least correct your internal attitude.
That is the most realistic way to protect myself in this turbulent world.
(…) Living life wisely does not mean trying to do everything my way, but rather humbly recognizing where the flow of my life is flowing.
Accepting the things I cannot change as they are, but keeping my center within them.
That is the attitude of a person who does not crumble even in the face of a shaky world.
---From "I face uncontrollable situations calmly"

The truth of life is often not found at the end of words, but in the margins of silence.
Pausing to ask, that one step of reservation, sometimes speaks more than words.
Don't settle and stay still.
Reason quietly takes root in that place.
(…) As we live, we cannot know everything clearly and we cannot fully understand everyone.
So sometimes, let's live with reservations instead of judgments, with questions instead of certainties.
A person who postpones conclusions, leaves questions, and leaves room for margins.

---From "Decisions Stop Thinking"

We sometimes make impulsive choices and are easily swayed by those choices.
The more complicated our minds become, the more we want to make quick decisions, and impatience hinders deep reflection.
But truly strong resolutions always come from deep, quiet inner thought.
A decision made after long thought, sufficient reflection, and calming of mind is not shaken by external influences.
Only when the direction of our hearts reaches the center can we move forward without wavering.
If you have to make a decision now, you don't have to rush it today.
A decision made after enduring a quiet time and convincing yourself will never be shaken.
And that is the most solid teaching that Montaigne left us.
---From "A decision made after deep consideration is unwavering"

Our lives are still being written.
Yet we jump to conclusions too easily.
They define a person's life in a few scenes and hastily add meaning to their own life, which is not yet over.
So, Montaigne's thoughts are a quiet comfort to us who live in the present.
Because our current failures are not everything in life, and it means that we can still write new sentences.
No life can be judged until it ends, and any pain will eventually pass.
Even if I am wavering now, it will not become a mark on my life.
Because we are beings who can choose how we write our last sentence.

---From "No one knows until the last day comes"