Lend yourself to others. Give yourself only to yourself.
Montaigne, Essays 3.10 (Of Managing the Will)
il se faut prester à autruy, et ne se donner qu'à soy-mesme
Lend yourself to others. Give yourself only to yourself.
Montaigne, Essays 3.10 (Of Managing the Will)
What it means
Montaigne served as mayor and took the job seriously without letting it own him. Help freely, but keep possession of yourself. Commitment does not require surrender.
The source
"Lend yourself to others. Give yourself only to yourself." Montaigne said it in Essays 3.10 (Of Managing the Will). Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.
"il se faut prester à autruy, et ne se donner qu'à soy-mesme"Original French, Essays 3.10 (Of Managing the Will). Text read at gutenberg.org.
Who said it
Montaigne (1533–1592). French magistrate who retired to his tower library and invented the essay. His motto was a question: What do I know?
Questions
- What does "Lend yourself to others. Give yourself only to yourself." mean?
- Montaigne served as mayor and took the job seriously without letting it own him. Help freely, but keep possession of yourself. Commitment does not require surrender.
- Who said "Lend yourself to others. Give yourself only to yourself."?
- Montaigne (1533–1592). Source: Essays 3.10 (Of Managing the Will).
- What is the original French?
- il se faut prester à autruy, et ne se donner qu'à soy-mesme. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.
- Is "Lend yourself to others. Give yourself only to yourself." on a shirt?
- Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.
Cite this line
"Lend yourself to others. Give yourself only to yourself." (Montaigne, Essays 3.10 (Of Managing the Will), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/lend-yourself-to-others-give-yourself-only-to
Filed under Self.
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More from Montaigne
- The greatest thing in the world is knowing how to belong to yourself.Essays 1.39 (Of Solitude)
- Keep a back room of your own.Essays 1.39 (Of Solitude)
- Because it was him. Because it was me.Essays 1.28 (Of Friendship)
- Did nothing today? What, haven't you lived?Essays 3.13 (Of Experience)
- On the highest throne in the world, we still sit on our own backside.Essays 3.13 (Of Experience)
- When I dance, I dance. When I sleep, I sleep.Essays 3.13 (Of Experience)