Title Of Solitude

Author Michel de Montaigne

Kind of Book Essay

How strongly I recommend it 8/10 

My Impressions Worth reading. Montaigne is the man

Practical Takeaways

  • Let your contentment only depend on yourself

  • Don't move or travel to try to solve your problems

  • Have a wife, children, and material possessions, but don't allow your happiness to depend on any one of them

  • Save some money for your retirement and old age

  • If reading books makes you sick and less happy or carefree then give up the books

  • Don't read "thorny" science books. Only read easy books which entertain and teach you how to live a better life

  • Hold onto the pleasures of life as you age

  • People should spend their youth and middle age engaged in society and their twilight years withdrawn in solitude

Big Ideas

  • If we are in the company of bad people It is likely that we will become bad (the same way we catch a virus)

  • If you are in the company of bad people you may cure some, but they may also contaminate you with their "sickness" of being bad

  • Whatever the mind is wrapped up in it becomes all consumed, Therefore, It doesn't matter if you have a lot of obligations or a few, you will still live with the same amount of worry and headache

  • If you have a problem you will do more harm than good moving/traveling/vacationing

  • Have a wife, children, and material possessions, but don't allow your happiness to depend on any one of them

  • People should spend their youth and middle age engaged in society and their twilight years withdrawn in solitude