Demetrius the grammarian finding in the temple of Delphos a knot of philosophers set chatting together, said to them, “Either I am much deceived, or by your cheerful and pleasant countenances, you are engaged in no very deep discourse.” To which one of them, Heracleon the Megarean, replied: “ ’Tis for such as are puzzled about inquiring whether the future tense of the verb Ballo be spelt with adouble L, or that hunt after the derivation of the comparatives Cheirou and Beltiou, and the superlatives Cheiriotou and Beliotou, to knit their brows whilst discoursing of their science; but as to philosophical discourses, they always divert and cheer up those that entertain them, and never deject them or make them sad. Michel De Montaigne
About This Quote

When we discuss the meanings of words, we must remember that the English language is constantly changing. Words such as 'vandalism' and 'tribute' were once words that meant the same thing, but over time they've changed to mean slightly different things.

Source: The Complete Essays

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  1. If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I.
  2. The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.
  3. I do not care so much what I am to others as I care what I am to myself.
  4. I quote others only in order the better to express myself.
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