Teaching The Essays of Montaigne

1. Montaigne shows the Black Prince sparing a city because of three brave defenders, while Alexander brutally punished similar courage. What made the difference in how these leaders responded to defiance?

2. Why does Montaigne call humans 'marvellous vain, fickle, and unstable'? What evidence does he give for this claim?

3. Think about your workplace, school, or family. Where have you seen identical approaches produce completely opposite results with different people?

4. When you need something from someone in authority, how do you decide whether to show confidence or humility? What clues do you look for?

5. Montaigne suggests we can't predict human responses with certainty. If that's true, how should we approach difficult conversations or requests?

6. Why could the Egyptian king cry for his friend but not for his own children being executed?

7. What does Montaigne mean when he says extreme grief can make us go silent instead of making us cry?

8. Think of someone you know who seems to handle big problems well but gets upset over small things. How does Montaigne's insight explain this?

9. How would you check on someone who's going through major trauma but seems 'fine' on the outside?

10. What does this chapter teach us about judging people's reactions to loss or stress?

11. According to Montaigne, where do our minds spend most of their time, and what pulls us away from the present moment?

12. Why does Montaigne think we're naturally wired to live in the future rather than the present? What purpose does this serve?

13. Think about your own daily life - when do you catch yourself living in tomorrow instead of today? What specific fears or hopes pull you forward?

14. Montaigne suggests focusing on doing good work now rather than managing your reputation later. How would you apply this advice to a current situation in your life?

15. What does this chapter reveal about why humans struggle to find contentment, even when things are going well?

16. Montaigne describes people attacking completely unrelated things when they're in pain—like the man cursing at sausages for his gout, or gamblers destroying cards after losing. What's really happening in these moments?

17. Why do you think our minds create these 'fake targets' when we're upset? What purpose does it serve to yell at something that didn't actually cause our problem?

18. Think about your workplace, family, or social media interactions. Where do you see people attacking the wrong target when they're really frustrated about something else entirely?

19. When you catch yourself getting angry at something minor—like traffic, a slow computer, or a messy house—how could you pause and ask 'What am I really fighting here?' What would change if you identified the actual source of your frustration?

20. Montaigne shows us that even powerful rulers like Xerxes and Caligula fell into this pattern of fighting unwinnable battles against nature itself. What does this tell us about how universal this human tendency is, and how we might have more compassion for others when they're misdirecting their anger?