Summary
Montaigne explores one of humanity's most persistent delusions: our inability to truly believe we're dying, even when death is imminent. He argues that hope constantly whispers false reassurances—'others have been sicker and survived,' 'this isn't as bad as it seems,' 'miracles happen.' This happens because we overvalue ourselves, imagining the universe somehow needs us and would suffer from our loss. Like sailors who think the shore is moving while they remain still, we project our own motion onto the world around us. Montaigne examines various historical examples of people facing death, from Caesar's arrogant confidence during a storm to elaborate suicide preparations by Roman emperors. He distinguishes between genuine courage in facing death and mere theatrical performance. Many who seem brave are simply putting on a show, hoping to build a reputation they'll somehow enjoy posthumously. The essay reveals how even attempted suicides often fail because people don't truly commit—they strike too weakly, hesitate, or seek help. True resolution requires accepting death completely, not just playing at it. Montaigne contrasts this with genuinely philosophical deaths, like Socrates calmly spending thirty days contemplating his execution, or Cato's determined suicide. The chapter ultimately argues that most of what we consider brave dying is actually self-deception or performance, while genuine courage means fully accepting mortality without illusion or drama.
Coming Up in Chapter 70
Having explored how we deceive ourselves about death, Montaigne turns to examine how our minds create their own obstacles and limitations. He'll reveal the surprising ways our thoughts trap us in patterns that prevent clear thinking and authentic living.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
OF JUDGING OF THE DEATH OF ANOTHER When we judge of another’s assurance in death, which, without doubt, is the most remarkable action of human life, we are to take heed of one thing, which is that men very hardly believe themselves to have arrived to that period. Few men come to die in the opinion that it is their latest hour; and there is nothing wherein the flattery of hope more deludes us; It never ceases to whisper in our ears, “Others have been much sicker without dying; your condition is not so desperate as ‘tis thought; and, at the worst, God has done other miracles.” Which happens by reason that we set too much value upon ourselves; it seems as if the universality of things were in some measure to suffer by our dissolution, and that it commiserates our condition, forasmuch as our disturbed sight represents things to itself erroneously, and that we are of opinion they stand in as much need of us as we do of them, like people at sea, to whom mountains, fields, cities, heaven and earth are tossed at the same rate as they are: “Provehimur portu, terraeque urbesque recedunt:” [“We sail out of port, and cities and lands recede.” --AEneid, iii. 72.] Whoever saw old age that did not applaud the past and condemn the present time, laying the fault of his misery and discontent upon the world and the manners of men? “Jamque caput quassans, grandis suspirat arator. Et cum tempora temporibus praesentia confert Praeteritis, laudat fortunas saepe parentis, Et crepat antiquum genus ut pietate repletum.” [“Now the old ploughman, shaking his head, sighs, and compares present times with past, often praises his parents’ happiness, and talks of the old race as full of piety.”--Lucretius, ii. 1165.] We will make all things go along with us; whence it follows that we consider our death as a very great thing, and that does not so easily pass, nor without the solemn consultation of the stars: “Tot circa unum caput tumultuantes dens,” [“All the gods to agitation about one man.” --Seneca, Suasor, i. 4.] and so much the more think it as we more value ourselves. “What, shall so much knowledge be lost, with so much damage to the world, without a particular concern of the destinies? Does so rare and exemplary a soul cost no more the killing than one that is common and of no use to the public? This life, that protects so many others, upon which so many other lives depend, that employs so vast a number of men in his service, that fills so many places, shall it drop off like one that hangs but by its own simple thread? None of us lays it enough to heart that he is but one: thence proceeded those words of Caesar to his pilot, more tumid than the sea that threatened him: “Italiam si coelo auctore recusas, Me pete: sola tibi causa est haec justa timoris, Vectorem non nosce tuum;...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of False Immortality - How We Lie to Ourselves About Death
The human tendency to deny overwhelming evidence of impending loss by convincing ourselves we're the exception to universal rules.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when hope becomes a dangerous drug that prevents practical action.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you dismiss others' concerns as 'negativity'—that's often your cue that false hope is driving your decisions.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Flattery of Hope
Montaigne's phrase for how hope lies to us, especially when facing death, whispering false reassurances that we'll survive when we won't. It's the voice that says 'others have been sicker and lived' or 'this isn't really that serious.' This self-deception prevents us from truly accepting our mortality.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people ignore serious medical diagnoses, thinking they're the exception, or when someone in financial crisis keeps believing 'something will work out' instead of facing reality.
Theatrical Death
Montaigne's concept of people who perform bravery in dying rather than genuinely accepting death. They're more concerned with how their death will look to others than with actually facing mortality. It's death as performance art rather than authentic experience.
Modern Usage:
This shows up in social media culture where people perform their struggles for likes rather than genuinely dealing with problems, or when someone threatens suicide for attention rather than from true despair.
Philosophical Death
Death approached with genuine acceptance and rational preparation, like Socrates spending thirty days calmly contemplating his execution. It's the opposite of theatrical death - quiet, authentic, without drama or false hope.
Modern Usage:
We see this in hospice patients who accept their diagnosis and use their remaining time meaningfully, or anyone who faces a major life ending with dignity rather than denial.
Self-Overvaluation
Montaigne's idea that we think we're more important to the universe than we actually are. We imagine that our death would somehow damage the world, that things need us more than they do. This inflated sense of importance makes it harder to accept mortality.
Modern Usage:
This appears when people think their workplace can't function without them, or parents who can't let adult children make their own mistakes because they believe they're indispensable.
Stoic Suicide
The Roman philosophical practice of choosing death on one's own terms when life became unbearable or dishonorable. Montaigne examines this as potentially the most authentic form of facing death, when done with true resolution rather than drama.
Modern Usage:
This concept influences modern discussions about end-of-life choices, physician-assisted death, and the right to die with dignity when facing terminal illness.
Resolution vs. Hesitation
Montaigne's observation that many suicide attempts fail because people don't truly commit - they strike too weakly, hesitate at the crucial moment, or unconsciously seek rescue. True resolution requires complete acceptance of the outcome.
Modern Usage:
This pattern shows up in any major life decision where people say they want change but sabotage themselves - quitting jobs halfheartedly, ending relationships but leaving doors open, or making New Year's resolutions without real commitment.
Characters in This Chapter
Caesar
Historical example of arrogance
Montaigne uses Caesar's behavior during a dangerous storm to show how people refuse to believe they can die. Caesar told his terrified sailors not to worry because Caesar was on board, as if his importance could control nature itself.
Modern Equivalent:
The CEO who thinks their company stock can't crash because they're running it
Socrates
Model of philosophical death
Represents the ideal of facing death with genuine acceptance and rational calm. Montaigne praises how Socrates spent thirty days thoughtfully preparing for his execution without drama or false hope, using the time for authentic philosophical reflection.
Modern Equivalent:
The terminal cancer patient who uses their remaining time to have meaningful conversations and tie up loose ends without denial
Cato
Example of true resolution
A Roman who committed suicide with complete determination when he chose death over living under Caesar's rule. Montaigne uses him to contrast genuine commitment to death versus theatrical attempts that fail due to hidden hesitation.
Modern Equivalent:
Someone who actually follows through on major life changes instead of just talking about them
Roman Emperors
Examples of death as performance
Montaigne describes various emperors who made elaborate preparations for suicide, more concerned with how their deaths would be remembered than with actually dying. They turned death into theater rather than genuine acceptance of mortality.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who posts dramatic farewell messages on social media but doesn't actually leave
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Few men come to die in the opinion that it is their latest hour"
Context: Opening observation about human nature and death
This captures the central paradox Montaigne explores - even when death is obvious to everyone else, the dying person rarely truly believes it's happening to them. It reveals how powerful our psychological defenses are against accepting mortality.
In Today's Words:
Most people don't really believe they're dying, even when they obviously are
"It seems as if the universality of things were in some measure to suffer by our dissolution"
Context: Explaining why we can't accept our own mortality
This reveals the ego-driven delusion that makes death so hard to accept - we secretly believe the universe somehow needs us and would be damaged by our absence. It's a profound insight into human narcissism disguised as self-preservation.
In Today's Words:
We act like the whole world would fall apart if we weren't here
"Like people at sea, to whom mountains, fields, cities, heaven and earth are tossed at the same rate as they are"
Context: Comparing our self-deception about death to optical illusions
This metaphor brilliantly captures how we project our own motion onto the world around us. Just as sailors think the shore is moving when they're the ones in motion, we think the world revolves around us when we're just one small part of it.
In Today's Words:
We're like people on a moving train who think the station is moving instead of them
Thematic Threads
Self-Deception
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how even dying people convince themselves they'll survive through elaborate mental gymnastics and selective evidence
Development
Building on earlier themes of human irrationality, now showing how it operates even in life's most serious moments
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you ignore clear signs a job, relationship, or situation is ending
Performance vs Reality
In This Chapter
Many 'brave' deaths are actually theatrical performances designed to build posthumous reputation rather than genuine courage
Development
Extends Montaigne's ongoing exploration of authentic versus performed behavior into the ultimate test
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself acting tough during a crisis more for others' approval than from real strength
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
People attempt suicide or face death in ways designed to impress others rather than from genuine conviction
Development
Continues the theme of how social pressure shapes even our most private moments
In Your Life:
You might find yourself making major life decisions based on how they'll look to others rather than what you actually want
Class and Dignity
In This Chapter
Montaigne contrasts philosophical deaths of educated Romans with more genuine but less celebrated deaths of common people
Development
Reinforces his pattern of questioning whether elite behavior is actually superior to working-class authenticity
In Your Life:
You might notice that 'proper' ways of handling crisis often matter less than honest, direct approaches
Power and Control
In This Chapter
The illusion of control over death mirrors our broader delusions about controlling life outcomes
Development
Deepens earlier themes about the limits of human agency and the danger of overestimating our influence
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you exhaust yourself trying to control outcomes that are largely beyond your influence
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
According to Montaigne, what keeps people from truly believing they're dying even when death is imminent?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne compare us to sailors who think the shore is moving? What does this reveal about how we handle threatening situations?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about someone you know facing a major loss (job, relationship, health). How do you see this pattern of false hope playing out in their situation?
application • medium - 4
Montaigne distinguishes between genuine courage and theatrical performance when facing death. How would you apply this distinction to other life challenges?
application • deep - 5
What does this essay suggest about the relationship between self-importance and our ability to see reality clearly?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Reality Check: Map Your False Hope Patterns
Think of a current situation where you might be avoiding hard truths. Write down three pieces of evidence that support your hopes and three that suggest a different outcome. Then identify which voice sounds like Montaigne's 'false hope'—the one telling you you're special or different from others in similar situations.
Consider:
- •Notice if you're dismissing other people's concerns as 'negativity'
- •Ask yourself what you'd advise a friend in your exact situation
- •Consider what you'd regret not doing if the worst-case scenario happens
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you held onto false hope longer than you should have. What finally made you face reality, and what did you learn about yourself in that process?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 70: When Our Mind Gets in Its Own Way
In the next chapter, you'll discover overthinking can paralyze decision-making, and learn small differences help us choose between seemingly equal options. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.