---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Experience has taught me this, that we…"
description: "\"Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health.\" — ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/michel-de-montaigne-142_health_experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-un_2842293.jpg"
---

#  Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by…

![“Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/michel-de-montaigne-142_health_experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-un_2842293.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/michel-de-montaigne-142_health_experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-un_2842293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/michel-de-montaigne-142_health_experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-un_2842293.jpg)

> “Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health.”

[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.

Impatience leads to self‑destruction; misfortunes have limits and cycles of health and illness.

**In simple terms:** Patience prevents self‑harm.

Key Takeaway

Practice patient self‑awareness.

Themes

patience self‑destruction fortune

Mood

reflective philosophical

Type

literary inspirational

When to use this quote

- daily stress
- health setbacks
- personal growth

Key Concepts

human nature philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does impatience affect your decisions?
- What limits do you set for personal suffering?

A Different Perspective

May simplify complex causes of misfortune.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Impatience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatience/) [Impatience Misfortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatience-misfortunes-3733150/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Misfortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortune/) [Misfortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortunes/) [Misfortunes Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortunes-life-1002622/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Sickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickness/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Undo Impatience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undo-impatience-3733151/)

## Related quotes

> [It is one of the misfortunes in life that one must read thousands of books only to discover that one need not have read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-quincey/it-is-one-of-the-misfortunes-in-life-that-one-must-read-thousands-of/)

[Thomas de Quincey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-quincey/)

> [Almost all our misfortunes in life come from the wrong notions we have about the things that happen to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/almost-all-our-misfortunes-in-life-come-from-the-wrong-notions-we/)

[Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/)

> [Despair makes a despicable figure, and descends from a mean original. 'Tis the offspring of fear, of laziness and impatience; it argues a defect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-collier/despair-makes-a-despicable-figure-and-descends-from-a-mean-original/)

[Jeremy Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-collier/)

> [There comes a certain point in life when you have to stop blaming other people for how you feel or the misfortunes in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-jackman/there-comes-a-certain-point-in-life-when-you-have-to-stop-blaming/)

[Hugh Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-jackman/)

> [Love makes the greatest pleasures and most sensitive misfortunes of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-de-scudery/love-makes-the-greatest-pleasures-and-most-sensitive-misfortunes-of/)

[Madeleine de Scudery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-de-scudery/)

> [“Presque tous les malheurs de la vie viennent des fausses idées que nous avons sur ce qui nous arrive. Connaître à fond les hommes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/presque-tous-les-malheurs-de-la-vie-viennent-des-fausses-id-es-que/)

[Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/)

> [In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/in-poverty-and-other-misfortunes-of-life-true-friends-are-a-sure-2/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [There are misfortunes in life that no one will accept; people would rather believe in the supernatural and the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/there-are-misfortunes-in-life-that-no-one-will-accept-people-would/)

[Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/)

> [In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/in-poverty-and-other-misfortunes-of-life-true-friends-are-a-sure/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [There are two types of compassion. One - is faint-hearted and sentimental. Actually, it is nothing more than impatience of the heart, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/there-are-two-types-of-compassion-one-is-faint-hearted-and/)

[Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/)

> [\[It is hard to know what is good luck and what isn't and therefore whether we should be happy or sad about it. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelig-pliskin/it-is-hard-to-know-what-is-good-luck-and-what-isn-t-and-therefore/)

[Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelig-pliskin/)

> [When the sun is shining, think of the time it won't be, because even when you're sitting in your house with the doors shut,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-the-sun-is-shining-think-of-the-time-it-won-t-be-because-even/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [Misfortune is the test of a person's merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/misfortune-is-the-test-of-a-person-s-merit/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Many things would be changed for Americans if they would only admit that there is ill-luck in this world and that misfortune is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/many-things-would-be-changed-for-americans-if-they-would-only-admit/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [If we cannot meet our everyday surroundings with equanimity and pleasure and grow each day in some useful direction, then... life is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-burbank/if-we-cannot-meet-our-everyday-surroundings-with-equanimity-and/)

[Luther Burbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-burbank/)

## 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 Health quotes

> [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

> [Water is life, and clean water means health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/water-is-life-and-clean-water-means-health/)

[Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/)

> [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/)

[Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

[Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/)

[Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/)

> [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/)

[Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/)

> [I listen to my body, I give it things it wants and I eliminate things it doesn't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-ekland/i-listen-to-my-body-i-give-it-things-it-wants-and-i-eliminate-things/)

[Britt Ekland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-ekland/)

> [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Mental health is an issue close to my heart - an issue, indeed, I've covered repeatedly for Channel 4 News.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-newman/mental-health-is-an-issue-close-to-my-heart-an-issue-indeed-i-ve/)

[Cathy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-newman/)

> [If you’re going to die on screen, you’ve got to be strong and in good health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-garbo/if-you-re-going-to-die-on-screen-you-ve-got-to-be-strong-and-in-good/)

[Greta Garbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-garbo/)

> [Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/every-patient-carries-her-or-his-own-doctor-inside/)

[Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/)

> [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/)

[Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/)

> [Not only is a healthy America a strong America - it's vital to our national defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/not-only-is-a-healthy-america-a-strong-america-it-s-vital-to-our/)

[John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/)

[Browse all 17,127 Health quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michel de Montaigne"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-undo-ourselves-by-impatience/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Health"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-undo-ourselves-by-impatience/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/michel-de-montaigne-142_health_experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-un_2842293.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/michel-de-montaigne-142_health_experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-un_2842293.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/michel-de-montaigne-142_health_experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-un_2842293.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their…” — 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": "Experience has taught me this, that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-undo-ourselves-by-impatience/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/experience-has-taught-me-this-that-we-undo-ourselves-by-impatience/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
