Chapter 58
The Inconsistency of Our Actions
OF THE INCONSTANCY OF OUR ACTIONS Such as make it their business to oversee human actions, do not find themselves in anything so much perplexed as to reconcile them and bring them into the world’s eye with the same lustre and reputation; for they commonly so strangely contradict one another that it seems impossible they should proceed from one and the same person. We find the younger Marius one while a son of Mars and another a son of Venus. Pope Boniface VIII. entered, it is said, into his Papacy like a fox, behaved himself in it like a lion,…
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Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Malum consilium est, quod mutari non potest."
Context: Fixed bad counsel
No change allowed.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne quotes the player Publius that evil counsel is that which cannot be changed, and names inconstancy our most common vice. Rigidity and flux both trap us in different ways. Notice when you are defending a plan only because you hate to revise it, not because it still fits.
"Distinguo’ is the most universal member of my logic."
Context: Self-knowledge
I contain multiples.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne says he has nothing to say of himself entirely, simply, and solidly without mixture, and Distinguo is the most universal member of his logic. He is not one flat note. When you describe yourself or another in one adjective, expect the next week to contradict it.
"zonam perdidit, inquit;” [“Some poor fellow, who has lost his purse, will go whither you wish, said he."
Context: Soldier refuses again
Lost purse, lost nerve.
In Today's Words:
A soldier who had been plundered refused Lucullus's next dangerous mission, saying with Horace that he who has lost his purse will go whither you wish. One loss changed his courage overnight. Ask whether today's boldness survived yesterday's setback or only appeared before the purse was taken.
"unum hominem agere."
Context: One consistent life
Rare unity.
In Today's Words:
Seneca, quoted by Montaigne, says esteem it a great thing always to act as one and the same man, yet few arrange life to one certain end. Without an aim, pieces never form a whole. If your weeks pull in opposite directions, do not call that complexity; call it missing design.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows that our 'true self' is actually multiple, contradictory selves responding to different situations
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice you're a different person at work than at home, and that's completely normal.
Self-Knowledge
In This Chapter
True wisdom comes from accepting our contradictions rather than trying to eliminate them
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
Understanding your own inconsistencies helps you make better decisions about when and how to act.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Judging others fairly requires understanding that everyone acts differently under different pressures
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You can improve relationships by expecting people to be inconsistent rather than holding them to impossible standards.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Society demands consistency that humans can't actually deliver, creating unnecessary shame and judgment
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You can free yourself from the pressure to be perfectly consistent and focus on being appropriately responsive to situations.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
What does Montaigne mean when he says Nero cried 'O that I had never been taught to write!' when signing a death sentence?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
Montaigne shows how even history's cruelest emperor could feel genuine compassion in the moment, contradicting his reputation completely.
- 2
Why does the soldier's story about losing his courage after being cured illustrate Montaigne's point so effectively?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
Pain made him reckless with life, but health made him value it again. The same person became completely different based on circumstances alone.
- 3
Where do you see this kind of inconsistency playing out in social media or online behavior today?
application • mediumOne way to read it
People often present curated, consistent online personas while acting completely differently in real life, or even across different platforms.
- 4
How would you handle judging a friend who acts generously sometimes but selfishly other times?
application • deepOne way to read it
Following Montaigne's advice, judge each action separately rather than forcing them into one character profile. Accept that people contain multitudes.
- 5
What does our inconsistency reveal about the nature of identity and moral judgment?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
Perhaps there is no fixed 'true self' to discover. We're shaped moment by moment by circumstances, making rigid moral categories less useful than flexible understanding.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Contradictions
Think of a trait you consider central to who you are - maybe you're 'honest' or 'patient' or 'organized.' Now identify three different situations where you've acted against this trait. For each situation, note what pressures or circumstances pushed you to act differently. This isn't about shame - it's about recognizing the pattern Montaigne describes.
Consider:
- •Focus on circumstances, not character flaws - what external pressures were you responding to?
- •Notice if certain environments or relationships consistently bring out different sides of you
- •Consider how stress, fatigue, or strong emotions might have influenced your behavior
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone's inconsistent behavior really frustrated you. Looking back through Montaigne's lens, what pressures might they have been responding to that you couldn't see at the time?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 59: The Hierarchy of Vice and Human Weakness
After contradictory selves, Montaigne ranks vices. Drunkenness will look brutish and earthly beside sins that still leave the soul some room, yet wine can overthrow reason entirely.
