Summary
Montaigne explores a fascinating human tendency: people love to talk about anything except what they actually know best. He shares examples of how sailors want to discuss philosophy, soldiers brag about poetry, and doctors try to be engineers. This isn't just harmless chatter—it can have serious consequences. He tells the story of ambassadors who decided to edit their report to the King, leaving out insulting comments from Emperor Charles V because they thought they knew better than their boss what he should hear. Montaigne argues this was wrong—ambassadors should report everything and let the King decide how to respond. But then he complicates his own argument, noting that sometimes rigid obedience can be just as problematic. The key insight is about knowing when to stay in your lane versus when to exercise judgment. In our daily lives, this shows up everywhere: the coworker who ignores their actual job to give unsolicited advice about everything else, or the friend who won't admit they don't know something. Montaigne suggests we'd all be better off if we focused on what we actually know well, listened to others in their areas of expertise, and were honest about the limits of our own knowledge.
Coming Up in Chapter 17
After examining how people overstep their expertise, Montaigne turns to one of our most primal emotions: fear. He'll explore how terror can both paralyze and unexpectedly liberate us, revealing the strange ways our minds work under pressure.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
A PROCEEDING OF SOME AMBASSADORS I observe in my travels this custom, ever to learn something from the information of those with whom I confer (which is the best school of all others), and to put my company upon those subjects they are the best able to speak of:-- “Basti al nocchiero ragionar de’ venti, Al bifolco dei tori; et le sue piaghe Conti’l guerrier; conti’l pastor gli armenti.” [“Let the sailor content himself with talking of the winds; the cowherd of his oxen; the soldier of his wounds; the shepherd of his flocks.”--An Italian translation of Propertius, ii. i, 43] For it often falls out that, on the contrary, every one will rather choose to be prating of another man’s province than his own, thinking it so much new reputation acquired; witness the jeer Archidamus put upon Pertander, “that he had quitted the glory of being an excellent physician to gain the repute of a very bad poet.--[Plutarch, Apoth. of the Lacedaemonians, ‘in voce’ Archidamus.]--And do but observe how large and ample Caesar is to make us understand his inventions of building bridges and contriving engines of war,--[De Bello Gall., iv. 17.]--and how succinct and reserved in comparison, where he speaks of the offices of his profession, his own valour, and military conduct. His exploits sufficiently prove him a great captain, and that he knew well enough; but he would be thought an excellent engineer to boot; a quality something different, and not necessary to be expected in him. The elder Dionysius was a very great captain, as it befitted his fortune he should be; but he took very great pains to get a particular reputation by poetry, and yet he was never cut out for a poet. A man of the legal profession being not long since brought to see a study furnished with all sorts of books, both of his own and all other faculties, took no occasion at all to entertain himself with any of them, but fell very rudely and magisterially to descant upon a barricade placed on the winding stair before the study door, a thing that a hundred captains and common soldiers see every day without taking any notice or offence. “Optat ephippia bos piger, optat arare caballus.” [“The lazy ox desires a saddle and bridle; the horse wants to plough.”--Hor., Ep., i. 14,43.] By this course a man shall never improve himself, nor arrive at any perfection in anything. He must, therefore, make it his business always to put the architect, the painter, the statuary, every mechanic artisan, upon discourse of their own capacities. And, to this purpose, in reading histories, which is everybody’s subject, I use to consider what kind of men are the authors: if they be persons that profess nothing but mere letters, I, in and from them, principally observe and learn style and language; if physicians, I the rather incline to credit what they report of the temperature of the air, of the health and complexions of princes,...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Expertise Drift
The tendency for competence in one area to create false confidence in unrelated areas, leading people to neglect their actual strengths while offering uninformed opinions elsewhere.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when you or others are abandoning actual competencies to play expert in unfamiliar territory.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're tempted to give advice outside your wheelhouse, and instead redirect conversations toward what you actually know well.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Ambassador
An official representative sent by one ruler to another to conduct diplomatic business. In Montaigne's time, they carried messages between kings and emperors with life-or-death consequences. Their job was to report exactly what they heard, not to interpret or edit.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this in any messenger role - the employee who decides to 'soften' bad news for the boss, or the friend who edits what someone really said to avoid drama.
Expertise vs. Opinion
The difference between what you actually know well versus what you think you know about everything else. Montaigne noticed people love to pontificate outside their area of real knowledge while downplaying what they're actually good at.
Modern Usage:
This shows up everywhere - the nurse who won't talk about medical stuff but has strong opinions about politics, or the mechanic who's shy about car knowledge but lectures about parenting.
Professional Boundaries
The limits of your role and responsibilities. Montaigne argues that people often overstep these boundaries, thinking they're being helpful when they're actually causing problems by doing someone else's job.
Modern Usage:
We see this with coworkers who ignore their own tasks to micromanage others, or when someone decides what information their boss 'needs to know' instead of just doing their job.
Intellectual Vanity
The human tendency to want to appear knowledgeable about everything rather than admitting the limits of your expertise. Montaigne shows how this leads people to abandon what they're actually good at to chase recognition in other areas.
Modern Usage:
This is the person on social media who has expert opinions on every topic, or the coworker who can't just say 'I don't know' about anything.
Faithful Reporting
Delivering information exactly as received without editing, interpreting, or 'improving' it. Montaigne argues this is especially crucial when you're acting as someone else's eyes and ears.
Modern Usage:
This applies to any situation where you're passing along information - telling your partner what the doctor actually said, not your interpretation of it.
Judgment vs. Obedience
The tension between following orders exactly and using your own judgment about when rules should be bent. Montaigne shows this isn't a simple choice - both blind obedience and freelance decision-making can cause problems.
Modern Usage:
This is the daily struggle of knowing when to follow procedures exactly versus when to use common sense - like a nurse following protocol versus making an exception for a patient's needs.
Characters in This Chapter
The Ambassadors
Well-meaning messengers who overstep their bounds
They decide to edit their report to the King, leaving out Emperor Charles V's insulting comments because they think they know better than their boss what he should hear. Their good intentions create a diplomatic problem by denying the King crucial information.
Modern Equivalent:
The employee who decides what the boss 'needs to know'
Emperor Charles V
The source of unfiltered truth
He makes harsh comments that the ambassadors don't want to relay. His words represent the raw information that needs to be passed along, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes people.
Modern Equivalent:
The difficult client whose exact words need to be reported
The King
The decision-maker denied crucial information
He's the one who should be making choices about how to respond to Charles V's comments, but his own ambassadors decide for him by filtering the message. This leaves him operating with incomplete information.
Modern Equivalent:
The boss who doesn't know what's really happening because staff 'protect' them
Caesar
Example of misplaced professional pride
Montaigne uses him to show how even great people fall into the trap of wanting recognition outside their expertise. Caesar was an excellent military leader but spent too much time trying to impress people with his engineering skills.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful person who can't resist showing off in areas where they're mediocre
Archidamus
The voice of common sense
He mocks Pertander for abandoning his medical expertise to write bad poetry. He represents the wisdom of staying in your lane and being proud of what you actually do well.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who tells you to stick with what you're good at
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Let the sailor content himself with talking of the winds; the cowherd of his oxen; the soldier of his wounds; the shepherd of his flocks."
Context: Montaigne opens by explaining his travel philosophy of learning from people about their actual expertise
This quote establishes the central theme - people are most valuable when they share what they actually know well. It suggests we'd all learn more if we sought out genuine expertise instead of general opinions.
In Today's Words:
Talk to people about what they actually know - ask the nurse about healthcare, the teacher about kids, the mechanic about cars.
"Every one will rather choose to be prating of another man's province than his own, thinking it so much new reputation acquired."
Context: Montaigne explains why people avoid talking about their actual expertise
This reveals the psychological reason behind intellectual wandering - people think they'll gain more respect by showing off knowledge in new areas rather than deepening what they already know well. It's about ego, not genuine learning.
In Today's Words:
People would rather show off about stuff they don't really know because they think it makes them look smarter than just being good at their actual job.
"His exploits sufficiently prove him a great captain, and that he knew well enough; but he would be thought an excellent engineer to boot."
Context: Describing how Caesar wanted recognition for engineering skills beyond his military genius
This shows how even successful people can be insecure about their achievements. Caesar had proven military excellence but still needed validation in other areas, which actually diminished his focus on his real strengths.
In Today's Words:
He was already a proven leader, but he still needed everyone to think he was also a great builder and inventor.
Thematic Threads
Competence
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how true competence requires staying within your knowledge boundaries and being honest about limitations
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself giving confident advice about things you've never actually done while avoiding tasks you're genuinely skilled at.
Authority
In This Chapter
The ambassadors' decision to edit their report reveals how people assume authority beyond their actual role
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice coworkers or family members making decisions that aren't really theirs to make.
Social Performance
In This Chapter
People perform knowledge they don't have rather than admit ignorance, seeking status through false expertise
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might find yourself nodding along in conversations about topics you don't understand rather than asking questions.
Judgment
In This Chapter
Montaigne explores when to follow orders exactly versus when to exercise independent judgment
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might struggle with knowing when to speak up at work versus when to just do what you're told.
Self-Knowledge
In This Chapter
The chapter advocates for honest assessment of what we actually know versus what we think we know
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might realize you've been avoiding activities where you have real skill while pursuing areas where you're actually mediocre.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Montaigne think the ambassadors made a mistake by editing their report to the King?
analysis • surface - 2
What causes people to feel more confident talking about things they don't know well than things they do know well?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about your workplace or family - where do you see people giving advice outside their area of expertise while neglecting what they're actually good at?
application • medium - 4
When someone you respect starts giving you advice about something they don't really understand, how would you redirect the conversation without insulting them?
application • deep - 5
What does this pattern reveal about why it's hard for humans to admit the limits of their knowledge?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Expertise Drift
Draw three columns: 'What I'm Actually Good At', 'What I Give Advice About', and 'What I Should Stop Commenting On'. Fill each column honestly, then look for patterns. Where are you drifting from your real strengths? Where are others asking for your opinion outside your wheelhouse?
Consider:
- •Notice if your 'advice' column is longer than your 'good at' column
- •Consider whether you're protecting time for developing your actual strengths
- •Think about which conversations drain your energy versus energize you
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you gave confident advice about something you didn't really understand. What drove that impulse? How might you handle a similar situation differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 17: How Fear Controls Our Minds
The coming pages reveal fear can override rational thinking and good judgment, and teach us anticipating something bad is often worse than experiencing it. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.