--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Disappointment and feebleness imprint…" description: "\"Disappointment and feebleness imprint upon us a cowardly and valetudinarian virtue.\" — Michel de Montaigne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/michel-de-montaigne-142_cowardly_disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-up_2563175.jpg" --- # Disappointment and feebleness imprint upon us a cowardly… ![“Disappointment and feebleness imprint upon us a cowardly and valetudinarian virtue.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/michel-de-montaigne-142_cowardly_disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-up_2563175.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/michel-de-montaigne-142_cowardly_disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-up_2563175.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/michel-de-montaigne-142_cowardly_disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-up_2563175.jpg) > “Disappointment and feebleness imprint upon us a cowardly and valetudinarian virtue.” [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. He warns that excessive self‑pity creates a false virtue of weakness. **In simple terms:** Self‑pity masquerades as virtue. Key Takeaway Avoid glorifying weakness. Themes humility self‑criticism virtue Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal setbacks - mental health struggles - leadership challenges Key Concepts philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - When does acknowledging weakness help growth? - How to balance humility with confidence? A Different Perspective Some vulnerability can foster empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cowardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardly/) [Cowardly Valetudinarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardly-valetudinarian-1624314/) [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Disappointment Feebleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment-feebleness-1624315/) [Feebleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feebleness-575619/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Valetudinarian Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valetudinarian-virtue-1624316/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [Men who have flattered themselves into this opinion of their own abilities, look down on all who waste their lives over books, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/men-who-have-flattered-themselves-into-this-opinion-of-their-own/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A feeble mind, conscious of its own feebleness, grows feeble under that very consciousness. As soon as the power of fear becomes known to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-berlioz/a-feeble-mind-conscious-of-its-own-feebleness-grows-feeble-under-that/) [Hector Berlioz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-berlioz/) > [Security puts a premium on feebleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hg-wells/security-puts-a-premium-on-feebleness/) [HG Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hg-wells/) > [Weakness has many stages. There is a difference between feebleness by the impotency of the will, of the will to the resolution, of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/weakness-has-many-stages-there-is-a-difference-between-feebleness-by/) [Jean Francois Paul de Gondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/) > [“The logical feebleness of science is not sufficiently borne in mind. It keeps down the weed of superstition, not by logic but by slowly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tyndall/the-logical-feebleness-of-science-is-not-sufficiently-borne-in-mind/) [John Tyndall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tyndall/) > [“Security sets a premium on feebleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/security-sets-a-premium-on-feebleness/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“Is it not rather meant that it was placed far above us, in order to convince us of our utter feebleness?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/is-it-not-rather-meant-that-it-was-placed-far-above-us-in-order-to/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [What is the source of sadness, but feebleness of the mind? What giveth it power but the want of reason? Rouse thyself to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akhenaton/what-is-the-source-of-sadness-but-feebleness-of-the-mind-what-giveth/) [Akhenaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akhenaton/) > [What is failure except feebleness? And what is it to miss one's mark except to aim widely and weakly?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/what-is-failure-except-feebleness-and-what-is-it-to-miss-one-s-mark/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/moderation-is-the-feebleness-and-sloth-of-the-soul-whereas-ambition/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [All the time nature is trying to tell us things and we blur her greatness with our little thoughts, our feebleness and flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-lee/all-the-time-nature-is-trying-to-tell-us-things-and-we-blur-her/) [Jeanette Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-lee/) > [No one but yourself knows whether you are cowardly and cruel, or loyal and devout; others do not see you; they surmise you by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-one-but-yourself-knows-whether-you-are-cowardly-and-cruel-or-loyal/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [I have never observed other effects of whipping than to render boys more cowardly, or more willfully obstinate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-have-never-observed-other-effects-of-whipping-than-to-render-boys/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Were I to deduce any system from my feelings on leaving Eton, it might be called The Theory of Permanent Adolescence. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/were-i-to-deduce-any-system-from-my-feelings-on-leaving-eton-it-might/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [A love to Christ which is so cowardly and selfish that it is unwilling to proclaim by a public confession its faith in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbott-eliot-kittredge/a-love-to-christ-which-is-so-cowardly-and-selfish-that-it-is/) [Abbott Eliot Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbott-eliot-kittredge/) ## 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 Cowardly quotes > [A love to Christ which is so cowardly and selfish that it is unwilling to proclaim by a public confession its faith in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbott-eliot-kittredge/a-love-to-christ-which-is-so-cowardly-and-selfish-that-it-is/) [Abbott Eliot Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbott-eliot-kittredge/) > [Poor human nature, what horrible crimes have been committed in thy name! All wars are wars among thieves who are too cowardly to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/poor-human-nature-what-horrible-crimes-have-been-committed-in-thy/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The world, and the great and free United States in particular, is full of narrow-minded, ignorant, moronic, bigoted, cowardly, self-righteous, anemic, pig-headed, stupid, puritanical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-world-and-the-great-and-free-united-states-in-particular-is-full/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [It is no less vain to wish death than it is cowardly to fear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/it-is-no-less-vain-to-wish-death-than-it-is-cowardly-to-fear-it/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Not to be cowardly when it comes to our own actions! Not to leave them in the lurch!--The sting of conscience is indecent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/not-to-be-cowardly-when-it-comes-to-our-own-actions-not-to-leave-them/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [To go behind a man's hall-door is mean, cowardly, unfair opposition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-woodhull/to-go-behind-a-man-s-hall-door-is-mean-cowardly-unfair-opposition/) [Victoria Woodhull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-woodhull/) > [You're obliged to pretend respect for people and institutions you think absurd. You live attached in a cowardly fashion to moral and social conventions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/you-re-obliged-to-pretend-respect-for-people-and-institutions-you/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [ “\[...\] god's cowardly, it doesn't want to know or take responsibility for what it's doing.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/god-s-cowardly-it-doesn-t-want-to-know-or-take-responsibility-for/) [Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/) > [“I’m a coward.” “No—” “Don’t deny what we both know to be true.” Richard put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “You are worn down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sondra-allan-carr/i-m-a-coward-no-don-t-deny-what-we-both-know-to-be-true-richard-put/) [Sondra Allan Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sondra-allan-carr/) > [We must be neither cowardly nor rash but courageous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/we-must-be-neither-cowardly-nor-rash-but-courageous/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Blessed be those happy ages that were strangers to the dreadful fury of these devilish instruments of artillery, whose inventor I am satisfied is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/blessed-be-those-happy-ages-that-were-strangers-to-the-dreadful-fury/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [There is a time when to avoid trouble is to store up trouble, and when to seek for a lazy and a cowardly peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/there-is-a-time-when-to-avoid-trouble-is-to-store-up-trouble-and-when/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [“You may say suicide is a loss of control and cowardly. Foolish as it may sound, I am prepared to argue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-remy/you-may-say-suicide-is-a-loss-of-control-and-cowardly-foolish-as-it/) [Dee Remy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-remy/) > [“You are a man. You are an average, lazy, boring, cowardly, woman-fearing man. Without me, that's what you would have kept on being, ad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/you-are-a-man-you-are-an-average-lazy-boring-cowardly-woman-fearing/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [I believe that women are many different types of people. There are brave women, there are cowardly women, there are altruistic women, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-believe-that-women-are-many-different-types-of-people-there-are/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) [Browse all 330 Cowardly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Disappointment and feebleness imprint upon us a cowardly and valetudinarian virtue.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel de Montaigne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-upon-us-a-cowardly-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cowardly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-upon-us-a-cowardly-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/michel-de-montaigne-142_cowardly_disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-up_2563175.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/michel-de-montaigne-142_cowardly_disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-up_2563175.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/michel-de-montaigne-142_cowardly_disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-up_2563175.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Disappointment and feebleness imprint upon us a cowardly and valetudinarian virtue.” — 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": "Disappointment and feebleness imprint upon us...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-upon-us-a-cowardly-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/disappointment-and-feebleness-imprint-upon-us-a-cowardly-and/#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 } } ] } ```