Summary
Montaigne takes aim at people who waste time on flashy but useless skills—like poets who write entire poems with every line starting with the same letter, or someone who can throw grains through a needle's eye. He tells the story of Alexander the Great, who rewarded such a performer with a bushel of grain, basically saying 'here's more stuff to waste your time with.' The real insight comes when Montaigne explores how extremes meet: the very brave and the very cowardly both tremble, extreme cold and heat both burn, the wisest and most ignorant both handle life's troubles well (though for different reasons). He applies this to knowledge itself—simple, uneducated people often make good believers, while highly educated people also find truth, but those stuck in the middle create the most problems. They know enough to be dangerous but not enough to be wise. Montaigne admits he's one of these middle people and tries to retreat back to natural simplicity. He ends by noting that his own essays probably suffer the same fate—too complex for simple readers, too simple for scholars, hovering uncomfortably in between. It's a humble and honest look at the trap of trying too hard to be clever.
Coming Up in Chapter 55
From the complexities of human knowledge, Montaigne turns to something more immediate and mysterious—how our sense of smell connects us to memories, emotions, and the physical world in ways we barely understand.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
OF VAIN SUBTLETIES There are a sort of little knacks and frivolous subtleties from which men sometimes expect to derive reputation and applause: as poets, who compose whole poems with every line beginning with the same letter; we see the shapes of eggs, globes, wings, and hatchets cut out by the ancient Greeks by the measure of their verses, making them longer or shorter, to represent such or such a figure. Of this nature was his employment who made it his business to compute into how many several orders the letters of the alphabet might be transposed, and found out that incredible number mentioned in Plutarch. I am mightily pleased with the humour of him, [“Alexander, as may be seen in Quintil., Institut. Orat., lib. ii., cap. 20, where he defines Maratarexvia to be a certain unnecessary imitation of art, which really does neither good nor harm, but is as unprofitable and ridiculous as was the labour of that man who had so perfectly learned to cast small peas through the eye of a needle at a good distance that he never missed one, and was justly rewarded for it, as is said, by Alexander, who saw the performance, with a bushel of peas.”--Coste.] who having a man brought before him that had learned to throw a grain of millet with such dexterity and assurance as never to miss the eye of a needle; and being afterwards entreated to give something for the reward of so rare a performance, he pleasantly, and in my opinion justly, ordered a certain number of bushels of the same grain to be delivered to him, that he might not want wherewith to exercise so famous an art. ‘Tis a strong evidence of a weak judgment when men approve of things for their being rare and new, or for their difficulty, where worth and usefulness are not conjoined to recommend them. I come just now from playing with my own family at who could find out the most things that hold by their two extremities; as Sire, which is a title given to the greatest person in the nation, the king, and also to the vulgar, as merchants, but never to any degree of men between. The women of great quality are called Dames, inferior gentlewomen, Demoiselles, and the meanest sort of women, Dames, as the first. The cloth of state over our tables is not permitted but in the palaces of princes and in taverns. Democritus said, that gods and beasts had sharper sense than men, who are of a middle form. The Romans wore the same habit at funerals and feasts. It is most certain that an extreme fear and an extreme ardour of courage equally trouble and relax the belly. The nickname of Trembling with which they surnamed Sancho XII., king of Navarre, tells us that valour will cause a trembling in the limbs as well as fear. Those who were arming that king, or some other person, who upon the like...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Dangerous Half-Knowledge
People with partial knowledge are more dangerous than the ignorant or truly wise because they combine confidence with blind spots.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when partial knowledge creates overconfidence and poor judgment in yourself and others.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you dismiss both common sense and expert advice—that's the danger zone where a little knowledge becomes toxic.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Vain subtleties
Clever tricks or skills that look impressive but serve no real purpose. Montaigne uses this to describe people who waste time on flashy abilities that don't actually help anyone or solve real problems.
Modern Usage:
Like someone who spends years perfecting card tricks but can't balance their checkbook, or influencers who master elaborate makeup tutorials but struggle with basic life skills.
Acrostic poetry
Poems where each line begins with the same letter, or letters that spell out a word when read vertically. Ancient Greeks also shaped their verses to look like objects on the page.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people create elaborate social media posts or TikTok challenges that take hours to perfect but don't really communicate anything meaningful.
Extremes meet
Montaigne's observation that opposite behaviors often look identical from the outside. The very brave and very cowardly both shake, extreme heat and cold both burn your skin.
Modern Usage:
Like how both workaholics and lazy people avoid dealing with emotions, or how both very rich and very poor people often distrust the system.
Middle knowledge trap
The dangerous zone between ignorance and wisdom where people know just enough to be confident but not enough to be right. Montaigne says these people cause the most trouble.
Modern Usage:
Think of people who read a few articles and become experts on vaccines, or watch YouTube videos and think they can fix their own electrical work.
Natural simplicity
The state of acting on instinct and basic common sense rather than overthinking everything. Montaigne admires this quality in uneducated people who make good decisions without complex reasoning.
Modern Usage:
Like your grandmother who gives better life advice than therapists, or mechanics who diagnose car problems by listening rather than running computer tests.
Performative skill
Abilities that exist mainly to show off rather than accomplish anything useful. The man who could throw grain through a needle's eye had impressive technique but no practical application.
Modern Usage:
Similar to competitive eating, elaborate gaming achievements, or memorizing pi to 1000 digits - impressive but ultimately pointless.
Characters in This Chapter
Alexander the Great
Wise judge
Appears as the king who rewards the grain-thrower with a bushel of grain, essentially mocking the uselessness of the skill. His response shows practical wisdom - if you're going to waste time on pointless activities, here's more material to waste.
Modern Equivalent:
The boss who gives the office show-off more busy work
The grain-thrower
Skilled fool
A man who perfected the ability to throw grains of millet through a needle's eye. Represents people who develop impressive but completely useless talents while neglecting practical skills.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker who knows every sports statistic but can't manage their own schedule
Montaigne himself
Self-aware narrator
Admits he's caught in the middle knowledge trap himself - too educated to be naturally simple, not wise enough to transcend his learning. He's honest about his own flaws while observing others.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who calls out everyone's bad habits while admitting they have the same problems
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I am mightily pleased with the humour of him who having a man brought before him that had learned to throw a grain of millet with such dexterity and assurance as never to miss the eye of a needle; and being afterwards entreated to give something for the reward of so rare a performance, he very pleasantly and justly gave him a bushel of peas."
Context: Describing Alexander's response to the grain-thrower's demonstration
This story perfectly captures Montaigne's point about vain subtleties. Alexander's gift is both generous and mocking - he's essentially saying 'if you want to waste time on pointless precision, here's more material to practice with.'
In Today's Words:
I love how Alexander basically said 'Oh, you like throwing tiny things through holes? Here's a lifetime supply to keep you busy with your useless hobby.'
"The simple peasants are good people, and so are the philosophers; or whatever we may call those who are thoroughly and highly instructed: the mongrels who have disdained the first form of ignorance of letters, and have not been able to attain to the other, are dangerous and absurd."
Context: Explaining why people with partial knowledge cause the most problems
Montaigne identifies the most dangerous group - those who've moved beyond simple ignorance but haven't achieved true wisdom. They're confident enough to act on incomplete knowledge but not wise enough to recognize their limitations.
In Today's Words:
Simple people who don't pretend to know everything are fine, and really smart people are fine too - it's the half-educated know-it-alls who cause all the trouble.
"I endeavour to retire my soul back into itself, and to wean it from the assistance of foreign succours, which is a thing that I find very difficult."
Context: Admitting his struggle to return to natural simplicity
This shows Montaigne's self-awareness about being trapped in the middle zone. He recognizes that his education has complicated his natural instincts, and he's trying to unlearn some of that complexity.
In Today's Words:
I'm trying to trust my gut more and stop overthinking everything, but it's really hard once you've gotten into the habit of analyzing everything to death.
Thematic Threads
Knowledge
In This Chapter
Montaigne examines how different levels of knowledge affect behavior and decision-making
Development
Builds on earlier themes of intellectual humility and self-awareness
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself dismissing advice because you think you know better, when you actually know just enough to be wrong.
Class
In This Chapter
Simple people and highly educated people both navigate life well, while the middle class of knowledge creates problems
Development
Continues exploration of social positioning and its effects on wisdom
In Your Life:
You might notice how your education level affects whether you trust folk wisdom or expert advice.
Pride
In This Chapter
Intellectual pride makes people in the middle zone overconfident and dismissive
Development
Extends earlier discussions of how pride blinds us to our limitations
In Your Life:
You might recognize moments when knowing a little about something made you more arrogant than when you knew nothing at all.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Montaigne worries his essays fall into the same trap—too complex for simple readers, too simple for scholars
Development
Shows how social positioning affects how we present ourselves
In Your Life:
You might struggle with how to communicate when you're not sure if your audience wants simple or sophisticated explanations.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Montaigne tries to retreat from the dangerous middle back to natural simplicity
Development
Demonstrates ongoing self-reflection and course correction
In Your Life:
You might need to consciously step back from overthinking and return to trusting what simply works.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Montaigne says the most dangerous people aren't the ignorant or truly wise, but those stuck in the middle with partial knowledge. What examples does he give of this pattern?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne think people with 'just enough knowledge' create more problems than those who know nothing or know everything?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this 'dangerous middle' pattern in your workplace, family, or community? Think about people who've learned just enough to become overconfident.
application • medium - 4
Montaigne admits he's probably stuck in this dangerous middle himself. How would you recognize if you're in this zone, and what would you do about it?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about the relationship between knowledge, humility, and wisdom? How might this change how you approach learning new things?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Knowledge Zones
Draw three columns: 'Know Nothing', 'Dangerous Middle', and 'Know Enough'. List areas of your life in each column. Be honest about where you have just enough knowledge to be overconfident but not enough to be truly helpful. Then identify one area from your 'Dangerous Middle' column where you could either learn deeply or step back and trust others.
Consider:
- •The 'Dangerous Middle' column is usually the longest—this is normal
- •Consider both professional skills and personal areas like parenting, relationships, or health
- •Notice if you tend to dismiss both simple advice and expert opinion in certain areas
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when your partial knowledge in something led you to make a mistake or give bad advice. What would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 55: The Truth About Natural vs. Artificial
In the next chapter, you'll discover authenticity often beats artificial enhancement, and learn to trust your instincts about people and situations. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.