Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 09

"Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Volume 09" by Michel de Montaigne is a compilation of reflective essays from the 1500s that demonstrates the essay's origins as a type of writing. This book covers a variety of subjects, such as what it means to be human and questions of right and wrong, through Montaigne's own self-examination. The writings ponder ideas such as why people do things that don't always make sense and the effects of being intoxicated, mixing personal stories with deep thinking, encouraging people to think about what they trust and how they live. Early on, "Of the Inconstancy of Our Actions" gets into the conflicts within what people do, pointing out how people often act differently depending on the situation they are in. Montaigne gives examples of people from history and shares his own thoughts to show how outside things can change what someone does. He thinks about how hard it is to judge oneself and others, hinting that to truly get why people do what they do, we have to recognize that we all have weaknesses.