Summary
Montaigne tackles one of humanity's most dangerous habits: assuming that what we can't understand must be false. He starts by observing how easily some people believe everything (children, the sick, the uneducated) while others dismiss anything that doesn't fit their worldview. He confesses his own past arrogance—how he used to pity people who believed in ghosts, prophecies, or miracles, thinking himself superior. But experience taught him humility. He realizes that completely rejecting what we can't comprehend is like trying to limit God's power to the boundaries of our own small minds. Montaigne uses vivid examples: someone who's never seen a river thinks the first one they encounter is an ocean; we only find things strange until custom makes them familiar. He argues that we should judge unusual claims with more reverence for our own ignorance rather than rushing to condemn them. Using historical examples of seemingly impossible news traveling faster than physically possible, he shows how even brilliant minds like Pliny can be dismissed by schoolboys who think they know better. The essay warns against intellectual pride that makes us think we're smarter than saints, scholars, and witnesses throughout history. Montaigne advocates for measured skepticism—neither believing everything nor arrogantly dismissing what challenges our limited perspective. This balance between credulity and cynicism becomes essential for navigating a world full of mysteries we can't yet explain.
Coming Up in Chapter 27
Having explored the dangers of intellectual arrogance, Montaigne turns to something far more personal and precious—the nature of true friendship. In his most beloved essay, he'll reveal the profound bond he shared with Étienne de La Boétie and explore what separates genuine friendship from mere acquaintance.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
THAT IT IS FOLLY TO MEASURE TRUTH AND ERROR BY OUR OWN CAPACITY ‘Tis not, perhaps, without reason, that we attribute facility of belief and easiness of persuasion to simplicity and ignorance: for I fancy I have heard belief compared to the impression of a seal upon the soul, which by how much softer and of less resistance it is, is the more easy to be impressed upon. “Ut necesse est, lancem in Libra, ponderibus impositis, deprimi, sic animum perspicuis cedere.” [“As the scale of the balance must give way to the weight that presses it down, so the mind yields to demonstration.” --Cicero, Acad., ii. 12.] By how much the soul is more empty and without counterpoise, with so much greater facility it yields under the weight of the first persuasion. And this is the reason that children, the common people, women, and sick folks, are most apt to be led by the ears. But then, on the other hand, ‘tis a foolish presumption to slight and condemn all things for false that do not appear to us probable; which is the ordinary vice of such as fancy themselves wiser than their neighbours. I was myself once one of those; and if I heard talk of dead folks walking, of prophecies, enchantments, witchcrafts, or any other story I had no mind to believe: “Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, sagas, Nocturnos lemures, portentaque Thessala,” [“Dreams, magic terrors, marvels, sorceries, Thessalian prodigies.” --Horace. Ep. ii. 3, 208.] I presently pitied the poor people that were abused by these follies. Whereas I now find, that I myself was to be pitied as much, at least, as they; not that experience has taught me anything to alter my former opinions, though my curiosity has endeavoured that way; but reason has instructed me, that thus resolutely to condemn anything for false and impossible, is arrogantly and impiously to circumscribe and limit the will of God, and the power of our mother nature, within the bounds of my own capacity, than which no folly can be greater. If we give the names of monster and miracle to everything our reason cannot comprehend, how many are continually presented before our eyes? Let us but consider through what clouds, and as it were groping in the dark, our teachers lead us to the knowledge of most of the things about us; assuredly we shall find that it is rather custom than knowledge that takes away their strangeness-- “Jam nemo, fessus saturusque videndi, Suspicere in coeli dignatur lucida templa;” [“Weary of the sight, now no one deigns to look up to heaven’s lucid temples.”--Lucretius, ii. 1037. The text has ‘statiate videnai’] and that if those things were now newly presented to us, we should think them as incredible, if not more, than any others. “Si nunc primum mortalibus adsint Ex improviso, si sint objecta repente, Nil magis his rebus poterat mirabile dici, Aute minus ante quod auderent fore credere gentes.” [Lucretius, ii. 1032. The sense of the passage is...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Intellectual Humility
The tendency to dismiss unfamiliar information to protect our sense of being smart, which actually makes us less intelligent and more isolated.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when our need to feel smart prevents us from actually learning or connecting with others.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel tempted to dismiss someone's experience as impossible or foolish—pause and ask what you might be missing instead of rushing to judgment.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Intellectual humility
The recognition that our personal understanding has limits and we shouldn't dismiss things simply because they don't fit our current worldview. Montaigne argues this is the opposite of intellectual arrogance, where we assume anything we can't understand must be false.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this in debates about new scientific discoveries, social media fact-checking, or when experts in one field dismiss findings from another field they don't understand.
Credulity vs. skepticism
The balance between believing too easily (credulity) and rejecting too quickly (excessive skepticism). Montaigne warns against both extremes - neither swallowing every story nor arrogantly dismissing what seems impossible.
Modern Usage:
We see this tension in how people respond to news stories, conspiracy theories, medical advice, or claims on social media.
Custom and familiarity
Montaigne's observation that we only find things strange until we get used to them. What seems miraculous or impossible often becomes ordinary once it's familiar to us.
Modern Usage:
Think about how smartphones seemed like magic 30 years ago but now feel completely normal, or how medical procedures that once seemed impossible are now routine.
Presumption
The arrogant assumption that we know better than others, especially those who came before us or have different experiences. Montaigne warns this makes us dismiss valuable knowledge and wisdom.
Modern Usage:
This shows up when people think they're smarter than doctors, teachers, or historians just because they read something online, or when each generation thinks previous ones were completely ignorant.
Testimony and witness
The accounts and experiences of other people throughout history. Montaigne argues we shouldn't automatically dismiss these just because we weren't there or can't explain them with our current understanding.
Modern Usage:
This applies to how we evaluate historical accounts, eyewitness testimony in court cases, or personal experiences that don't match our own.
Scholastic reasoning
The formal, academic way of thinking that was dominant in Montaigne's time, which he suggests can make people overly confident in their ability to determine what's true or false through logic alone.
Modern Usage:
Today this might be seen in how people with advanced degrees sometimes dismiss practical knowledge or lived experiences that don't fit academic theories.
Characters in This Chapter
Montaigne
Self-reflective narrator
He openly admits his own past arrogance in dismissing stories about supernatural events, showing how experience taught him to be more humble about the limits of his understanding. He uses himself as an example of someone who learned to balance skepticism with openness.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who used to be a know-it-all but learned through life experience to say 'I don't know' more often
Children, common people, women, and sick folks
Examples of the easily persuaded
Montaigne uses these groups to illustrate how some people believe things too readily because their minds are 'softer' and more impressionable, like wax that takes any seal pressed into it.
Modern Equivalent:
People who believe everything they see on social media or fall for every sales pitch
Those who fancy themselves wiser
Examples of the arrogantly dismissive
These are people who reject anything that doesn't fit their worldview, thinking they're superior to their neighbors. Montaigne admits he used to be one of them.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who rolls their eyes at everything and always says 'That's impossible' or 'People are so gullible'
Pliny
Historical authority figure
Montaigne references this respected ancient scholar to show how even learned men can be dismissed by people who think they know better, despite having far less knowledge and experience.
Modern Equivalent:
The established expert whose work gets criticized by internet commenters who've done five minutes of research
Key Quotes & Analysis
"By how much the soul is more empty and without counterpoise, with so much greater facility it yields under the weight of the first persuasion."
Context: He's explaining why some people believe everything they hear
This compares the mind to a scale - when there's nothing to balance against new information, people accept whatever they hear first. It shows Montaigne understands why some people are gullible, but he's setting up his larger point about the opposite extreme.
In Today's Words:
When your mind is empty of knowledge or experience, you'll believe whatever sounds convincing first.
"I presently pitied the poor people that were abused by these follies."
Context: He's confessing how he used to react to stories about supernatural events
This reveals Montaigne's former arrogance - he felt sorry for people who believed in things he couldn't understand. His use of 'pitied' shows he thought he was superior, which makes his later humility more meaningful.
In Today's Words:
I felt sorry for those idiots who fell for that nonsense.
"It is a foolish presumption to slight and condemn all things for false that do not appear to us probable."
Context: This is his main argument against automatic dismissal of unusual claims
This is the heart of his essay - warning against the arrogance of thinking that if we can't understand or believe something, it must be false. He's advocating for intellectual humility instead of presumptuous dismissal.
In Today's Words:
It's stupid and arrogant to automatically call everything fake just because it doesn't make sense to you.
Thematic Threads
Pride
In This Chapter
Montaigne examines intellectual pride that makes us dismiss what we can't understand rather than admit our limitations
Development
Builds on earlier themes of self-examination by focusing specifically on how pride blinds us to truth
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself dismissing coworkers' ideas without really listening because admitting they're right would bruise your ego
Class
In This Chapter
The essay shows how education and social position can create false superiority, making the 'learned' dismiss the experiences of ordinary people
Development
Extends class analysis to show how intellectual class distinctions can be just as harmful as economic ones
In Your Life:
You might automatically discount advice from someone without formal education, missing valuable wisdom from lived experience
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Society expects us to have opinions on everything, pressuring us to reject what we don't understand rather than admit ignorance
Development
Deepens the theme by showing how social pressure to appear knowledgeable actually makes us less wise
In Your Life:
You might feel pressured to have strong opinions on topics you barely understand rather than saying 'I don't know enough about that'
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Montaigne models intellectual humility by admitting his own past arrogance and showing how experience taught him to be more open
Development
Continues the growth theme by demonstrating that wisdom comes from recognizing the limits of our knowledge
In Your Life:
You might realize that the times you've been most wrong were when you felt most certain you were right
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
The essay shows how dismissing others' experiences damages relationships and cuts us off from learning opportunities
Development
Expands relationship themes to include how intellectual respect strengthens human connections
In Your Life:
You might notice how relationships improve when you respond to others' stories with curiosity rather than skepticism
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Montaigne describes two extremes: people who believe everything and people who dismiss anything unfamiliar. What examples does he give of each type, and why does he think both approaches are problematic?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne say that rejecting what we can't understand is like 'trying to limit God's power to the boundaries of our own small minds'? What's the deeper mechanism he's describing?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about your workplace, social media, or family discussions. Where do you see people dismissing others' experiences because they seem 'impossible' or don't match their own knowledge?
application • medium - 4
Montaigne advocates for 'measured skepticism'—neither believing everything nor arrogantly rejecting unfamiliar claims. How would you apply this balance when someone tells you something that sounds unbelievable?
application • deep - 5
What does this essay reveal about the relationship between intellectual pride and actual intelligence? How might admitting ignorance actually make someone smarter?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Dismissal Patterns
For the next few days, notice when you catch yourself dismissing someone's story, opinion, or experience as 'impossible' or 'wrong.' Write down three instances where you felt that knee-jerk rejection. For each one, identify what triggered your dismissal and what you might have missed by not staying curious.
Consider:
- •Pay attention to your internal reaction before you speak—that moment when you think 'that's ridiculous'
- •Notice if your dismissals follow patterns—certain types of people, topics, or situations
- •Consider what staying curious might have taught you, even if the claim turned out to be wrong
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone dismissed your experience or knowledge, and you knew they were wrong to do so. How did it feel? What did they miss by not listening? How can this memory help you respond differently when you encounter unfamiliar claims?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 27: The Nature of True Friendship
The coming pages reveal to distinguish genuine friendship from mere acquaintance or convenience, and teach us true friendship requires complete mutual understanding and acceptance. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.