Q0236
“I do not portray being. I portray passing.” — Michel de Montaigne (Essays III.2)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Essays III.2. Theme: self.
English
I do not portray being. I portray passing.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Essays III.2 and files it under Renaissance Humanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Michel de Montaigne
Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) invented the modern essay as a form of self-study, combining classical learning with skeptical inquiry into custom and certainty.
How to read this passage
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Michel de Montaigne. (n.d.). I do not portray being. I portray passing. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0236
MLA: Michel de Montaigne. “I do not portray being. I portray passing..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0236.
Chicago: Michel de Montaigne. “I do not portray being. I portray passing..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0236.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “I do not portray being. I portray passing.”?
The passage is attributed to Michel de Montaigne, Essays III.2. The archive attributes this English wording to Essays III.2 and files it under Renaissance Humanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Michel de Montaigne mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.