Summary
Montaigne explores fear as the most powerful emotion that can completely hijack our ability to think clearly. He shares vivid stories of soldiers who became so terrified they ran toward the enemy instead of away, thinking they were retreating to safety. One soldier literally died of fright without being touched by a weapon. Fear, Montaigne argues, doesn't just make us scared—it makes us stupid. It turns friends into enemies in our minds and makes us see threats that aren't there. The most striking insight is his observation that people living in actual hardship—the poor, exiled, or enslaved—often seem happier than those who merely fear these conditions. The anticipation of loss torments us more than the loss itself. Montaigne admits his own greatest fear is fear itself, because it's the one emotion that can completely override everything else we know to be true. He describes 'panic terrors'—mass hysteria that can grip entire cities without any real cause, showing how fear can spread like a contagion. The chapter reveals how our minds can become our own worst enemy, creating suffering that's often worse than whatever we're actually afraid of. This isn't just about being brave in battle—it's about recognizing when fear is making your decisions and learning to think clearly despite feeling afraid.
Coming Up in Chapter 18
Next, Montaigne tackles one of life's biggest questions: when can we actually judge if someone has lived well? He'll explore why we might need to wait until the very end to know if a life was truly successful or happy.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
OF FEAR “Obstupui, steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit.” [“I was amazed, my hair stood on end, and my voice stuck in my throat.” Virgil, AEneid, ii. 774.] I am not so good a naturalist (as they call it) as to discern by what secret springs fear has its motion in us; but, be this as it may, ‘tis a strange passion, and such a one that the physicians say there is no other whatever that sooner dethrones our judgment from its proper seat; which is so true, that I myself have seen very many become frantic through fear; and, even in those of the best settled temper it is most certain that it begets a terrible astonishment and confusion during the fit. I omit the vulgar sort, to whom it one while represents their great-grandsires risen out of their graves in their shrouds, another while werewolves, nightmares, and chimaeras; but even amongst soldiers, a sort of men over whom, of all others, it ought to have the least power, how often has it converted flocks of sheep into armed squadrons, reeds and bullrushes into pikes and lances, friends into enemies, and the French white cross into the red cross of Spain! When Monsieur de Bourbon took Rome,--[In 1527]--an ensign who was upon guard at Borgo San Pietro was seized with such a fright upon the first alarm, that he threw himself out at a breach with his colours upon his shoulder, and ran directly upon the enemy, thinking he had retreated toward the inward defences of the city, and with much ado, seeing Monsieur de Bourbon’s people, who thought it had been a sally upon them, draw up to receive him, at last came to himself, and saw his error; and then facing about, he retreated full speed through the same breach by which he had gone out, but not till he had first blindly advanced above three hundred paces into the open field. It did not, however, fall out so well with Captain Giulio’s ensign, at the time when St. Paul was taken from us by the Comte de Bures and Monsieur de Reu, for he, being so astonished with fear as to throw himself, colours and all, out of a porthole, was immediately, cut to pieces by the enemy; and in the same siege, it was a very memorable fear that so seized, contracted, and froze up the heart of a gentleman, that he sank down, stone-dead, in the breach, without any manner of wound or hurt at all. The like madness does sometimes push on a whole multitude; for in one of the encounters that Germanicus had with the Germans, two great parties were so amazed with fear that they ran two opposite ways, the one to the same place from which the other had fled.--[Tacit, Annal., i. 63.]--Sometimes it adds wings to the heels, as in the two first: sometimes it nails them to the ground, and fetters them from moving; as we read of...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Fear's False Prophecies
Fear hijacks reasoning so completely that we often create the very disasters we're trying to prevent.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to recognize when fear is driving your choices by showing how terror completely reverses logical thinking.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel urgent anxiety about a situation, then ask yourself: 'What would I do if I weren't afraid?' before taking action.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Panic terror
Mass hysteria where fear spreads through a group without any real threat present. Montaigne describes how entire cities can become gripped by terror based on rumors or false alarms. It shows how fear is contagious and can override rational thinking.
Modern Usage:
We see this in social media panics, stock market crashes, or when false emergency alerts cause mass chaos.
Naturalist
In Montaigne's time, someone who studied the natural world and human behavior scientifically. Montaigne admits he's not skilled enough to understand the mechanics of how fear works in our bodies and minds. It shows his intellectual humility.
Modern Usage:
Today we'd call this a psychologist or neuroscientist studying the biology of emotions.
Dethrones judgment
Fear kicks rational thinking off its throne, making emotions the ruler instead of logic. Montaigne argues that fear is the only emotion powerful enough to completely override our ability to think clearly. It's a hostile takeover of the mind.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people make terrible decisions during emergencies or when anxiety prevents clear thinking.
French white cross vs Spanish red cross
Military insignia that identified which army soldiers belonged to during battle. Montaigne uses this to show how fear can make you see enemies where there are allies - soldiers would mistake their own side for the enemy when terrified.
Modern Usage:
Like when anxiety makes you interpret neutral comments as attacks, or see threats in harmless situations.
The fit
Montaigne's term for when fear completely takes over someone, like a seizure of terror. During 'the fit,' even normally calm people become frantic and confused. It's temporary but total loss of control.
Modern Usage:
We call this a panic attack or anxiety episode - when fear overwhelms your system completely.
Chimaeras
Mythical monsters that exist only in imagination, but fear makes them seem real. Montaigne lists these alongside ghosts and werewolves as things terrified people think they see. Fear creates its own monsters.
Modern Usage:
Like worst-case scenarios our anxiety brain creates that feel real but are just mental monsters.
Characters in This Chapter
The ensign at Borgo San Pietro
Tragic example
A guard who became so terrified during the attack on Rome that he threw himself toward the enemy, thinking he was running to safety. He died not from enemy action but from his own panic. Shows how fear can be literally fatal.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who quits a good job in a panic without having another one lined up
Monsieur de Bourbon
Military commander
Led the attack on Rome in 1527 where Montaigne witnessed extreme examples of fear's power. His presence in the story provides the historical context for the ensign's panic. Represents the chaos of war that reveals human nature.
Modern Equivalent:
The CEO during a corporate crisis who sees how people really behave under pressure
The soldiers who saw sheep as armed squadrons
Collective example
Experienced warriors who became so afraid they hallucinated threats, seeing harmless sheep as enemy troops and reeds as weapons. Proves that even trained, brave people can lose all judgment when fear takes over.
Modern Equivalent:
Experienced professionals who make rookie mistakes when they're stressed or anxious
The man who died of fright
Extreme case study
Someone who literally died from fear alone, without any physical harm. Montaigne uses this to show that fear itself can be more dangerous than the thing we're afraid of. The anticipation killed him, not the reality.
Modern Equivalent:
Someone whose anxiety about health problems makes them sicker than any actual illness
Key Quotes & Analysis
"There is no other passion that sooner dethrones our judgment from its proper seat"
Context: Explaining why physicians consider fear the most dangerous emotion
This reveals fear's unique power among emotions - it doesn't just influence our thinking, it completely overthrows it. Montaigne positions fear as a usurper that stages a coup against rationality. It's not just feeling scared, it's losing the ability to think clearly.
In Today's Words:
Fear doesn't just make you worried - it makes you stupid
"How often has it converted flocks of sheep into armed squadrons, reeds and bullrushes into pikes and lances"
Context: Describing how fear makes soldiers hallucinate threats
Shows how fear doesn't just exaggerate real dangers - it creates completely false ones. The imagery of peaceful sheep becoming armies reveals how thoroughly fear can distort reality. Even trained warriors become unreliable witnesses to their own experience.
In Today's Words:
Fear makes you see enemies everywhere, even where there's nothing threatening at all
"I myself have seen very many become frantic through fear"
Context: Establishing his credibility as an observer of fear's effects
Montaigne grounds his philosophical observations in real experience. By saying 'I myself have seen' he's not just theorizing - he's reporting from the field. The word 'frantic' suggests complete loss of control, not just being scared.
In Today's Words:
I've watched fear turn normal people into complete basket cases
Thematic Threads
Self-Knowledge
In This Chapter
Montaigne admits his greatest fear is fear itself, showing radical honesty about his own psychological vulnerabilities
Development
Deepening from earlier self-examination to recognizing how emotions can completely override rational thought
In Your Life:
You might notice how admitting your fears out loud often reduces their power over you
Social Contagion
In This Chapter
Mass panic can grip entire cities without real cause, spreading fear like a virus through communities
Development
Expanding from individual psychology to collective behavior and social dynamics
In Your Life:
You might see how workplace anxiety or family drama can spread and escalate through emotional contagion
Reality vs Perception
In This Chapter
People living in actual hardship often seem happier than those merely anticipating it
Development
Building on earlier themes about how our mental constructions often create more suffering than reality
In Your Life:
You might find that dreading a difficult conversation is often worse than actually having it
Mental Resilience
In This Chapter
Fear can completely override everything else we know to be true, making clear thinking a skill to develop
Development
Moving from passive self-observation to active mental training and emotional regulation
In Your Life:
You might recognize that staying calm under pressure is a learnable skill, not just a personality trait
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Montaigne describes soldiers who became so terrified they ran toward the enemy thinking they were retreating to safety. What does this tell us about how fear affects our ability to think clearly?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne argue that people actually living in hardship often seem happier than those who just fear these conditions? What's the difference between experiencing something difficult and anticipating it?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about modern examples of 'panic terrors' - times when fear spreads through groups without real cause. Where do you see this happening in social media, workplaces, or communities today?
application • medium - 4
Montaigne says his greatest fear is fear itself because it can override everything else he knows to be true. How would you recognize when fear is making your decisions instead of your rational mind?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about the relationship between our imagination and our suffering? How much of our pain comes from what we fear might happen versus what actually happens?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Fear Audit: Map Your Mental Hijacking
Think of a current situation that's making you anxious or fearful. Write down what you're afraid will happen, then list the specific actions fear is pushing you toward. Next, imagine you had no fear about this situation - what would you do differently? Finally, ask yourself: what's the worst realistic outcome, and how would you handle it?
Consider:
- •Notice if your feared outcome is actually likely or if you're catastrophizing
- •Pay attention to whether fear is making you avoid action that would actually help
- •Consider if the energy you're spending on worry could be redirected toward problem-solving
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when fear made you act in a way that created the very problem you were trying to avoid. What did you learn about how fear operates in your life?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 18: Don't Count Your Blessings Too Early
What lies ahead teaches us judging success too early can blind you to life's reversals, and shows us to recognize that circumstances can change dramatically overnight. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.