--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A volunteer, you assign yourself specific…" description: "\"A volunteer, you assign yourself specific roles and risks according to your judgement of their brilliance and importance, and you see when life itself ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4df/michel-de-montaigne-142_brilliance_a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific_2639566.jpg" --- # A volunteer, you assign yourself specific roles and risks… ![“A volunteer, you assign yourself specific roles and risks according to your judgement of their brilliance and importance, and you see when life itself may be justifiably devoted to them.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4df/michel-de-montaigne-142_brilliance_a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific_2639566.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4df/michel-de-montaigne-142_brilliance_a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific_2639566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4df/michel-de-montaigne-142_brilliance_a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific_2639566.jpg) > “A volunteer, you assign yourself specific roles and risks according to your judgement of their brilliance and importance, and you see when life itself may be justifiably devoted to them.” [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing volunteers based on judged brilliance aligns risk with purpose, giving life meaning. **In simple terms:** Select helpers wisely for meaningful life. Key Takeaway Assess talent, assign purposeful roles. Themes leadership purpose risk assessment Mood reflective strategic Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - project teams - non‑profits - personal goals Key Concepts talent management meaningful work Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate true brilliance? - When should you accept risk for purpose? A Different Perspective Judgments can be biased; over‑reliance on perceived brilliance may fail. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliance/) [Devoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devoted/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Importance Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance-life/) [Judgement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgement/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Life Justifiably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-justifiably-2257916/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Roles Risks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles-risks-2257915/) [Volunteer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volunteer/) [Volunteer Assign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volunteer-assign-2257914/) ## Related quotes > [The best roles have risks... and those are the parts I'm interested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-fehr/the-best-roles-have-risks-and-those-are-the-parts-i-m-interested-in/) [Brendan Fehr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-fehr/) > [“There are only four questions of importance in life: What is sacred, of what is the spirit made, what is worth living for, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-only-four-questions-of-importance-in-life-what-is-sacred-of/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“Importance of life is that you dont forget its Importance!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nandini-deka/importance-of-life-is-that-you-dont-forget-its-importance/) [Nandini Deka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nandini-deka/) > [Even you have to much money,you think you're happy.but you will realize it when you know what is really love is..-and what is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/even-you-have-to-much-money-you-think-you-re-happy-but-you-will/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [Swallow your pride and open your mind before you miss out on the importance of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/swallow-your-pride-and-open-your-mind-before-you-miss-out-on-the/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [The terrible importance of this life is that it determines eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-terrible-importance-of-this-life-is-that-it-determines-eternity/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [There is no life which does not possess its own importance, no life which may not be touched by greatness at any time --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-life-which-does-not-possess-its-own-importance-no-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When You Start Giving Too Much Importance To Someone In Your Life Than You Tends To Loose Your Value In Their Life !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karal/when-you-start-giving-too-much-importance-to-someone-in-your-life/) [Karal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karal/) > [The day you start giving importance to the life of even a little fly, you turn into a holy man!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-day-you-start-giving-importance-to-the-life-of-even-a-little-fly/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [When you give lot of importance to someone in your life, you lose your importance in their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-give-lot-of-importance-to-someone-in-your-life-you-lose-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tragedy has the great moral defect of giving too much importance to life and death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/tragedy-has-the-great-moral-defect-of-giving-too-much-importance-to/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [The importance in life is to never burn a bridge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-jackson/the-importance-in-life-is-to-never-burn-a-bridge/) [Mark Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-jackson/) > [When you give someone a lot of importance in your life , you loose your importance in their life .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-give-someone-a-lot-of-importance-in-your-life-you-loose-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If everything was right we would not have known wrong. if There weren't mistakes we could not have learned. If theyre weren't any deaths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-everything-was-right-we-would-not-have-known-wrong-if-there-weren/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [When you start giving too much importance to some one in your life , you tend to lose your value in their life …STRANGE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/when-you-start-giving-too-much-importance-to-some-one-in-your-life/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) ## More by Michel de Montaigne > [No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-man-is-exempt-from-saying-silly-things-the-mischief-is-to-say-them/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The laws keep up their credit, not by being just, but because they are laws; 'tis the mystic foundation of their authority; they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-laws-keep-up-their-credit-not-by-being-just-but-because-they-are/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Every one rushes elsewhere and into the future, because no one wants to face one's own inner self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/every-one-rushes-elsewhere-and-into-the-future-because-no-one-wants/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Beauty is the true prerogative of women, and so peculiarly their own, that our sex, though naturally requiring another sort of feature, is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/beauty-is-the-true-prerogative-of-women-and-so-peculiarly-their-own/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The height and value of true virtue consists in the facility, utility, and pleasure of its exercise; so far from difficulty, that boys, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-height-and-value-of-true-virtue-consists-in-the-facility-utility/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Fie on the eloquence that leaves us craving itself, not things!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/fie-on-the-eloquence-that-leaves-us-craving-itself-not-things/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The plainest sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness: her state is like that of things in the regions above the moon, always clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-plainest-sign-of-wisdom-is-a-continual-cheerfulness-her-state-is/) [Michel De Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The corruption of the age is made up by the particular contribution of every individual man; some contribute treachery, others injustice, atheism, tyranny, avarice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-corruption-of-the-age-is-made-up-by-the-particular-contribution/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [If people must be talking about me, I would have it to be truthfully and justly. I would willingly return from the next world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/if-people-must-be-talking-about-me-i-would-have-it-to-be-truthfully/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Most pleasures embrace us but to strangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/most-pleasures-embrace-us-but-to-strangle/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [In true friendship, in which I am expert, I give myself to my friend more than I draw him to me. I not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/in-true-friendship-in-which-i-am-expert-i-give-myself-to-my-friend/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [There are as many and innumerable degrees of wit, as there are cubits between this and heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/there-are-as-many-and-innumerable-degrees-of-wit-as-there-are-cubits/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [A man has need of tough ears to hear himself fairly judged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/a-man-has-need-of-tough-ears-to-hear-himself-fairly-judged/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Lucius Arruntius killed himself, he said, to escape both the future and the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/lucius-arruntius-killed-himself-he-said-to-escape-both-the-future-and/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [I have a vocabulary all my own. I pass the time when itis wet and disagreeable. Whenit is fine I do not wish to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-have-a-vocabulary-all-my-own-i-pass-the-time-when-itis-wet-and/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) [Explore all 1,131 Michel de Montaigne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) ## More Brilliance quotes > [Asanas bring perfection in body, beauty in form, grace, strength, compactness, and the hardness and brilliance of a diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patanjali/asanas-bring-perfection-in-body-beauty-in-form-grace-strength/) [Patanjali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patanjali/) > [Evil may mar the divine image and cloud its brilliance, but it cannot destroy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/evil-may-mar-the-divine-image-and-cloud-its-brilliance-but-it-cannot/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/knowledge-is-merely-brilliance-in-organization-of-ideas-and-not/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Sensual pleasures have the fleeting brilliance of a comet; a happy marriage has the tranquillity of a lovely sunset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/sensual-pleasures-have-the-fleeting-brilliance-of-a-comet-a-happy/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [What is writing, no matter how lavish the pieces, if it says nothing of the truth, cares little for the heart, and is merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/what-is-writing-no-matter-how-lavish-the-pieces-if-it-says-nothing-of/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [I love the idea of a movie hero in a thriller who is able to get ahead by just his brilliance, and not with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-strong/i-love-the-idea-of-a-movie-hero-in-a-thriller-who-is-able-to-get/) [Danny Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-strong/) > [Most brilliance arises from ordinary people working together in extraordinary ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-von-oech/most-brilliance-arises-from-ordinary-people-working-together-in/) [Roger von Oech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-von-oech/) > [A man doesn't need brilliance or genius, all he needs is energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-m-greenfield/a-man-doesn-t-need-brilliance-or-genius-all-he-needs-is-energy/) [Albert M. Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-m-greenfield/) > [We aren't suggesting that mental instability or unhappiness makes one a better poet, or a poet at all; and contrary to the romantic notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/we-aren-t-suggesting-that-mental-instability-or-unhappiness-makes-one/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Enlightenment is like witnessing the brilliant sun for the first time in the morning. It is like seeing the beautiful flowers that grow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/enlightenment-is-like-witnessing-the-brilliant-sun-for-the-first-time/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Too much brilliance has its disadvantages, and misplaced wit may raise a laugh, but often beheads a topic of profound interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-asquith/too-much-brilliance-has-its-disadvantages-and-misplaced-wit-may-raise/) [Margot Asquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-asquith/) > [It is not brilliance or facility that is necessary, but the determination to bear and even enjoy the dull process of wading into one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-o-nan/it-is-not-brilliance-or-facility-that-is-necessary-but-the/) [Stewart O'Nan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-o-nan/) > [Our humanity is trapped by moral adolescents. We have too many men of science, too few men of God. The world has achieved brilliance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-n-bradley/our-humanity-is-trapped-by-moral-adolescents-we-have-too-many-men-of/) [Omar N. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-n-bradley/) > [Here is just emptiness. There is no getting my ego out of the way, and all that stuff. There is just the seeing, shining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/here-is-just-emptiness-there-is-no-getting-my-ego-out-of-the-way-and/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [“You can't stop the future. All you can do is pick a side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-sakey/you-can-t-stop-the-future-all-you-can-do-is-pick-a-side/) [Markus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-sakey/) [Browse all 411 Brilliance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A volunteer, you assign yourself specific roles and risks according to your judgement of their brilliance and importance, and you see when life itself may be justifiably devoted to them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel de Montaigne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific-roles-and-risks-according-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brilliance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific-roles-and-risks-according-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4df/michel-de-montaigne-142_brilliance_a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific_2639566.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4df/michel-de-montaigne-142_brilliance_a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific_2639566.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4df/michel-de-montaigne-142_brilliance_a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific_2639566.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A volunteer, you assign yourself specific roles and risks according to your judgement of their brilliance…” — Michel de Montaigne", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michel de Montaigne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A volunteer, you assign yourself specific...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific-roles-and-risks-according-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/a-volunteer-you-assign-yourself-specific-roles-and-risks-according-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```