An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 946 words)
HAT THE SOUL EXPENDS ITS PASSIONS UPON FALSE OBJECTS, WHERE THE TRUE ARE
WANTING
A gentleman of my country, marvellously tormented with the gout, being
importuned by his physicians totally to abstain from all manner of salt
meats, was wont pleasantly to reply, that in the extremity of his fits he
must needs have something to quarrel with, and that railing at and
cursing, one while the Bologna sausages, and another the dried tongues
and the hams, was some mitigation to his pain. But, in good earnest, as
the arm when it is advanced to strike, if it miss the blow, and goes by
the wind, it pains us; and as also, that, to make a pleasant prospect,
the sight should not be lost and dilated in vague air, but have some
bound and object to limit and circumscribe it at a reasonable distance.
“Ventus ut amittit vires, nisi robore densa
Occurrant sylvae, spatio diffusus inani.”
[“As the wind loses its force diffused in void space, unless it in
its strength encounters the thick wood.”--Lucan, iii. 362.]
So it seems that the soul, being transported and discomposed, turns its
violence upon itself, if not supplied with something to oppose it, and
therefore always requires an object at which to aim, and whereon to act.
Plutarch says of those who are delighted with little dogs and monkeys,
that the amorous part that is in us, for want of a legitimate object,
rather than lie idle, does after that manner forge and create one false
and frivolous. And we see that the soul, in its passions, inclines
rather to deceive itself, by creating a false and fantastical a subject,
even contrary to its own belief, than not to have something to work upon.
After this manner brute beasts direct their fury to fall upon the stone
or weapon that has hurt them, and with their teeth a even execute revenge
upon themselves for the injury they have received from another:
“Pannonis haud aliter, post ictum saevior ursa,
Cui jaculum parva Lybis amentavit habena,
Se rotat in vulnus, telumque irata receptum
Impetit, et secum fugientem circuit hastam.”
[“So the she-bear, fiercer after the blow from the Lybian’s thong-
hurled dart, turns round upon the wound, and attacking the received
spear, twists it, as she flies.”--Lucan, vi. 220.]
What causes of the misadventures that befall us do we not invent? what
is it that we do not lay the fault to, right or wrong, that we may have
something to quarrel with? It is not those beautiful tresses you tear,
nor is it the white bosom that in your anger you so unmercifully beat,
that with an unlucky bullet have slain your beloved brother; quarrel with
something else. Livy, speaking of the Roman army in Spain, says that for
the loss of the two brothers, their great captains:
“Flere omnes repente, et offensare capita.”
[“All at once wept and tore their hair.”-Livy, xxv. 37.]
‘Tis a common practice. And the philosopher Bion said pleasantly of the
king, who by handsful pulled his hair off his head for sorrow, “Does this
man think that baldness is a remedy for grief?”--[Cicero, Tusc. Quest.,
iii. 26.]--Who has not seen peevish gamesters chew and swallow the
cards, and swallow the dice, in revenge for the loss of their money?
Xerxes whipped the sea, and wrote a challenge to Mount Athos; Cyrus
employed a whole army several days at work, to revenge himself of the
river Gyndas, for the fright it had put him into in passing over it; and
Caligula demolished a very beautiful palace for the pleasure his mother
had once enjoyed there.
--[Pleasure--unless ‘plaisir’ were originally ‘deplaisir’--must be
understood here ironically, for the house was one in which she had
been imprisoned.--Seneca, De Ira. iii. 22]--
I remember there was a story current, when I was a boy, that one of our
neighbouring kings--[Probably Alfonso XI. of Castile]--having received
a blow from the hand of God, swore he would be revenged, and in order to
it, made proclamation that for ten years to come no one should pray to
Him, or so much as mention Him throughout his dominions, or, so far as
his authority went, believe in Him; by which they meant to paint not so
much the folly as the vainglory of the nation of which this tale was
told. They are vices that always go together, but in truth such actions
as these have in them still more of presumption than want of wit.
Augustus Caesar, having been tossed with a tempest at sea, fell to
defying Neptune, and in the pomp of the Circensian games, to be revenged,
deposed his statue from the place it had amongst the other deities.
Wherein he was still less excusable than the former, and less than he was
afterwards when, having lost a battle under Quintilius Varus in Germany,
in rage and despair he went running his head against the wall, crying
out, “O Varus! give me back my legions!” for these exceed all folly,
forasmuch as impiety is joined therewith, invading God Himself, or at
least Fortune, as if she had ears that were subject to our batteries;
like the Thracians, who when it thunders or lightens, fall to shooting
against heaven with Titanian vengeance, as if by flights of arrows they
intended to bring God to reason. Though the ancient poet in Plutarch
tells us--
“Point ne se faut couroucer aux affaires,
Il ne leur chault de toutes nos choleres.”
[“We must not trouble the gods with our affairs; they take no heed
of our angers and disputes.”--Plutarch.]
But we can never enough decry the disorderly sallies of our minds.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
When facing powerlessness, humans instinctively redirect their anger toward unrelated but attackable targets rather than processing the real source of pain.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to identify when your frustration is targeting the wrong source, saving relationships and energy.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel angry and ask yourself: 'Is this person/thing actually the source of my problem, or just something I can safely attack?'
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"In the extremity of his fits he must needs have something to quarrel with, and that railing at and cursing, one while the Bologna sausages, and another the dried tongues and the hams, was some mitigation to his pain."
Context: Explaining to his doctors why he curses at cured meats during gout attacks
This reveals the core insight of the chapter: we need targets for our pain, even absurd ones. The act of blaming something, anything, provides psychological relief even when it's completely irrational.
In Today's Words:
When I'm hurting bad, I need something to be mad at, and yelling at lunch meat actually makes me feel a little better.
"The soul, being transported and discomposed, turns its violence upon itself, if not supplied with something to oppose it, and therefore always requires an object at which to aim, and whereon to act."
Context: Montaigne explaining the psychological mechanism behind displacement
This is the chapter's central thesis: emotional energy must go somewhere. Without an external target, we turn that destructive force inward, which is even worse for our wellbeing.
In Today's Words:
When you're emotionally worked up, that energy has to go somewhere—either you find something outside yourself to blame, or you'll tear yourself apart.
"As the wind loses its force diffused in void space, unless it in its strength encounters the thick wood."
Context: A poetic metaphor comparing emotional energy to wind that needs resistance
This classical quote illustrates how our emotions, like physical forces, need something solid to push against to have impact. Without resistance, they dissipate uselessly or turn destructive.
In Today's Words:
Your anger is like wind—it needs something to hit, or it just spins around doing damage.
Thematic Threads
Powerlessness
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how humans create false enemies when facing situations beyond their control
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might find yourself blaming coworkers for problems that stem from company-wide issues you can't influence
Emotional Regulation
In This Chapter
The chapter reveals how anger serves as a coping mechanism for processing overwhelming feelings
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice yourself getting irrationally angry at small things when dealing with major life stress
Self-Awareness
In This Chapter
Montaigne demonstrates the value of recognizing our own psychological patterns and defense mechanisms
Development
Building from earlier chapters about knowing oneself
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself mid-rant and realize you're actually upset about something completely different
Human Nature
In This Chapter
Shows how even powerful rulers exhibit the same basic psychological responses as ordinary people
Development
Continues theme of universal human experiences across social classes
In Your Life:
You might recognize that your boss's unreasonable demands stem from their own feelings of powerlessness
Practical Wisdom
In This Chapter
Understanding this pattern provides a tool for better managing conflicts and emotional reactions
Development
Builds on Montaigne's approach of using self-knowledge for better living
In Your Life:
You might use this awareness to pause before arguments and identify what you're really fighting about
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Montaigne describes people attacking completely unrelated things when they're in pain—like the man cursing at sausages for his gout, or gamblers destroying cards after losing. What's really happening in these moments?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think our minds create these 'fake targets' when we're upset? What purpose does it serve to yell at something that didn't actually cause our problem?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about your workplace, family, or social media interactions. Where do you see people attacking the wrong target when they're really frustrated about something else entirely?
application • medium - 4
When you catch yourself getting angry at something minor—like traffic, a slow computer, or a messy house—how could you pause and ask 'What am I really fighting here?' What would change if you identified the actual source of your frustration?
application • deep - 5
Montaigne shows us that even powerful rulers like Xerxes and Caligula fell into this pattern of fighting unwinnable battles against nature itself. What does this tell us about how universal this human tendency is, and how we might have more compassion for others when they're misdirecting their anger?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Misdirected Energy
For the next three days, notice when you feel frustrated or angry. Write down what triggered the feeling and what you actually did or said in response. Then ask: 'What was I really upset about?' Often you'll discover you were snapping at your kids about homework when you were actually stressed about money, or getting angry at a slow cashier when you were really frustrated about being late to something important.
Consider:
- •Pay attention to the gap between your emotional reaction and the size of the actual trigger
- •Notice if you're fighting battles you literally cannot win (like yelling at traffic or broken technology)
- •Look for patterns in what you attack versus what's actually bothering you underneath
Journaling Prompt
Write about a recent time when you got disproportionately angry at something small. What were you really fighting? How might you handle that underlying frustration differently next time?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 5: When to Trust Your Enemy
From misplaced anger, Montaigne turns to a more calculated question of conflict: when a military commander is under siege, should he risk everything by personally negotiating with the enemy? The stakes are higher, but the psychology of decision-making under pressure remains just as complex.
