--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nobody is exempt from saying stupid…" description: "\"Nobody is exempt from saying stupid things, the harm is to do it presumptuously.\" — Michel de Montaigne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/michel-de-montaigne-142_harm_nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-thin_1532919.jpg" --- # Nobody is exempt from saying stupid things, the harm is to… ![“Nobody is exempt from saying stupid things, the harm is to do it presumptuously.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/michel-de-montaigne-142_harm_nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-thin_1532919.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/michel-de-montaigne-142_harm_nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-thin_1532919.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/michel-de-montaigne-142_harm_nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-thin_1532919.jpg) > “Nobody is exempt from saying stupid things, the harm is to do it presumptuously.” [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. People inevitably make foolish remarks; the real danger is speaking without thought or humility. **In simple terms:** Stupidity happens; arrogance worsens it. Key Takeaway Think before you speak; stay humble. Themes humility communication self‑awareness Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - daily conversation - public speaking - online comments - team meetings Key Concepts philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - How can you check your motives before speaking? - What habits foster mindful communication? A Different Perspective Even thoughtful speech can be misinterpreted or ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Stupid things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-things/) [Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity/) ## Related quotes > [Reality shows are usually created by people doing and saying stupid things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/reality-shows-are-usually-created-by-people-doing-and-saying-stupid/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [I hate people saying anything stupid. I don't really suffer fools very well at all. When people are acting like idiots, not that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-jackson/i-hate-people-saying-anything-stupid-i-don-t-really-suffer-fools-very/) [Joshua Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-jackson/) > [“No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the misfortune is to do it solemnly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-one-is-exempt-from-talking-nonsense-the-misfortune-is-to-do-it/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [No-one is exempt from speaking nonsense – the only misfortune is to do it solemnly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-one-is-exempt-from-speaking-nonsense-the-only-misfortune-is-to-do/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [I got joked on. You had people saying I was stupid, that I was lame, that I was feminine, this and that. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalid/i-got-joked-on-you-had-people-saying-i-was-stupid-that-i-was-lame/) [Khalid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalid/) > [It's been a long time since anybody caught me saying something stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-anybody-caught-me-saying-something-stupid/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [I'm not saying she was stupid, but I asked her how to spell Mississippi and she said 'the river or the state?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-saying-she-was-stupid-but-i-asked-her-how-to-spell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm just saying stupid, funny things when I'm hanging out on the TV show. When I'm making music I'm in a completely different zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanel-west-coast/i-m-just-saying-stupid-funny-things-when-i-m-hanging-out-on-the-tv/) [Chanel West Coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanel-west-coast/) > [“My fear of saying something stupid often leaves me saying almost nothing at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-buxbaum/my-fear-of-saying-something-stupid-often-leaves-me-saying-almost/) [Julie Buxbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-buxbaum/) > [If people say we are all unique and special in our own way¦is that just a polite way of saying you are stupid?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gfjhjghkjhkdgh/if-people-say-we-are-all-unique-and-special-in-our-own-way-is-that/) Gfjhjghkjhkdgh > [ “Freedom of speech does not protect you from the consequences of saying stupid shit. \[ Blog post, March 12, 2012 \]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/freedom-of-speech-does-not-protect-you-from-the-consequences-of/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“i gotta stop saying "how stupid could you be?" I'm beginning to feel like people are taking as a challenge”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-gotta-stop-saying-how-stupid-could-you-be-i-m-beginning-to-feel/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [I feared Sarah was one of those women who instead of laughing said, "That's funny," or instead of smiling said, "That's interesting," or instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/i-feared-sarah-was-one-of-those-women-who-instead-of-laughing-said/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I wish I was hard of hearing like you. You have no idea how many times I've heard this, and how many times I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-was-hard-of-hearing-like-you-you-have-no-idea-how-many-times/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had become a perfect fake human, saying the stupid and pointless things that humans say to each other all day long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-had-become-a-perfect-fake-human-saying-the-stupid-and-pointless/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) ## 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 Exempt quotes > [When I was depressed, nobody expected anything of me, nor did I expect anything of myself. I was exempt from life's demands and risks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-palmer/when-i-was-depressed-nobody-expected-anything-of-me-nor-did-i-expect/) [Parker Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-palmer/) > [I am more exempt and more distant than any man in the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-fermat/i-am-more-exempt-and-more-distant-than-any-man-in-the-world/) [Pierre de Fermat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-fermat/) > [You cannot take any people, of any color, and exempt them from the requirements of civilization - including work, behavioral standards, personal responsibility, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/you-cannot-take-any-people-of-any-color-and-exempt-them-from-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Nobody is exempt from the surprises of life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/nobody-is-exempt-from-the-surprises-of-life/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [It becomes one, while exempt from woes, to look to the dangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/it-becomes-one-while-exempt-from-woes-to-look-to-the-dangers/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I’m exempt from anything I damned will feel like on the grounds that I’ll kick anyone’s ass who says otherwise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-r-green/i-m-exempt-from-anything-i-damned-will-feel-like-on-the-grounds-that/) [Simon R. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-r-green/) > [Catholic schools in Indonesia routinely accept non-Catholic students, but exempt them from studying religion. Obama's school documents, though, wrongly list him as being Indonesian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klein/catholic-schools-in-indonesia-routinely-accept-non-catholic-students/) [Aaron Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klein/) > [Parents are by no means exempt from the intoxication of dominion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/parents-are-by-no-means-exempt-from-the-intoxication-of-dominion/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [When anybody says, 'Why me?' Why is 'me' exempt?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-vanderbilt/when-anybody-says-why-me-why-is-me-exempt/) [Gloria Vanderbilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-vanderbilt/) > [Their chief residence was Bagdad, where they remained until the eleventh century, an age fatal in Oriental history, from the disasters of which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-d-israeli/their-chief-residence-was-bagdad-where-they-remained-until-the/) [Isaac D'Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-d-israeli/) > [All Americans should be exempt from the atrocities of Obamacare - no exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-scott/all-americans-should-be-exempt-from-the-atrocities-of-obamacare-no/) [Austin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-scott/) > [“Though age will naturally exempt a person from personal service, it cannot exempt him from his share of the charge, because the men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/though-age-will-naturally-exempt-a-person-from-personal-service-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [We laugh at liberals who declare that their favorite spending programs should be exempt because the spending is for a noble cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-laugh-at-liberals-who-declare-that-their-favorite-spending/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [So you drive as far as you can, even when you can clearly read the sign. You want to think you are exempt, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/so-you-drive-as-far-as-you-can-even-when-you-can-clearly-read-the/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [Faith in technocrats over politicians is not a trend from which Britain is exempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/faith-in-technocrats-over-politicians-is-not-a-trend-from-which/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) Browse all 61 Exempt quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nobody is exempt from saying stupid things, the harm is to do it presumptuously.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel de Montaigne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-things-the-harm-is-to-do-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Exempt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-things-the-harm-is-to-do-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/michel-de-montaigne-142_harm_nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-thin_1532919.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/michel-de-montaigne-142_harm_nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-thin_1532919.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/michel-de-montaigne-142_harm_nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-thin_1532919.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nobody is exempt from saying stupid things, the harm is to do it presumptuously.” — 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": "Nobody is exempt from saying stupid...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-things-the-harm-is-to-do-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/nobody-is-exempt-from-saying-stupid-things-the-harm-is-to-do-it/#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 } } ] } ```