---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Certainly man is a remarkably vain…"
description: "\"“Certainly man is a remarkably vain, variable, and elusive subject.10 It is hard to base any constant, uniform judgment upon him.”\" — Michel de Montaigne"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/michel-de-montaigne-142_certainly-man_certainly-man-is-a-remarkably-vain-varia_2296918.jpg"
---

#  Certainly man is a remarkably vain, variable, and elusive…

![“Certainly man is a remarkably vain, variable, and elusive subject.10 It is hard to base any constant, uniform judgment upon him.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/michel-de-montaigne-142_certainly-man_certainly-man-is-a-remarkably-vain-varia_2296918.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/michel-de-montaigne-142_certainly-man_certainly-man-is-a-remarkably-vain-varia_2296918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/michel-de-montaigne-142_certainly-man_certainly-man-is-a-remarkably-vain-varia_2296918.jpg)

> ““Certainly man is a remarkably vain, variable, and elusive subject.10 It is hard to base any constant, uniform judgment upon him.””

[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.

Human nature is complex, inconsistent, and hard to judge uniformly.

**In simple terms:** People are unpredictable and hard to label.

Key Takeaway

Accept variability in others.

Themes

human nature judgment complexity

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- leadership
- conflict resolution
- team building

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology human behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you account for variability in others?
- Can you ever truly know someone?

A Different Perspective

Uniform judgments ignore individual nuance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Certainly Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-man-706876/) [Elusive Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elusive-subject-5417561/) [Man Remarkably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-remarkably-5417563/) [Remarkably Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remarkably-vain-5417560/) [Vain Variable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain-variable-5417562/)

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> [However, no human being - and certainly no man - has the right to define for me what my understanding of God is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haleh-afshar-baroness-afshar/however-no-human-being-and-certainly-no-man-has-the-right-to-define/)

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## 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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [Most pleasures embrace us but to strangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/most-pleasures-embrace-us-but-to-strangle/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [Certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and if he be not kin to God by his spirit, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/certainly-man-is-of-kin-to-the-beasts-by-his-body-and-if-he-be-not/)

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