I’m a big fan of Michel de Montaigne. To my knowledge, he was the first one to write personal essays. From 1533 to 1597, Montaigne lived in Southern France near Bordeaux writing about his experiences with friendship, death, and even his failures and frustrations in the bedroom.
While he was the first to do this, that doesn’t make him special. Many people write about these topics, especially today with millions of blogs and social posts churning out content.
What makes Montaigne special? What can someone from the 16th century hope to teach someone in 2024 about living well?
Easy: Montaigne was brutally honest.
His essays were not polished to make him look respectable, massage his ego, or honor his memory. Nope, Montaigne laid bare all the details. He wrote, not for posterity but for understanding. He wanted to learn how to be more human.
I just did a quick search and found most of his essays at Project Gutenburg. Look through the table of contents, find an essay that resonates with you, and give it a read. Then let me know what you think.
📚 Read his essay’s here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3600/3600-h/3600-h.htm
Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
Published by