--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once you have decided to keep a certain…" description: "\"Once you have decided to keep a certain pile, it is no longer yours; for you can't spend it.\" — Michel de Montaigne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/michel-de-montaigne-142_certain_once-you-have-decided-to-keep-a-certain_2661551.jpg" --- # Once you have decided to keep a certain pile, it is no… ![“Once you have decided to keep a certain pile, it is no longer yours; for you can't spend it.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/michel-de-montaigne-142_certain_once-you-have-decided-to-keep-a-certain_2661551.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/michel-de-montaigne-142_certain_once-you-have-decided-to-keep-a-certain_2661551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/michel-de-montaigne-142_certain_once-you-have-decided-to-keep-a-certain_2661551.jpg) > “Once you have decided to keep a certain pile, it is no longer yours; for you can't spend it.” [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. Holding onto a mental burden makes it yours, preventing you from spending it elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Clinging to thoughts keeps them from being used elsewhere. Key Takeaway Release mental burdens to free resources. Themes attachment mindfulness psychology Mood reflective calm Type philosophical self‑help When to use this quote - stress management - decision making - financial planning - personal growth Key Concepts stoicism cognitive load Questions to Reflect On - What mental 'piles' are you holding onto? - How does release change your actions? A Different Perspective Letting go may feel like loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Pile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-pile-2432621/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Longer Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer-spend-2432623/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Pile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pile/) [Pile Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pile-longer-2432622/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend/) ## Related quotes > [I don't break the law\* made for crooks, when I take away my own property - thus I am not obliged to conform to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-don-t-break-the-law-made-for-crooks-when-i-take-away-my-own/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [We have a lot of property and we take care of it mostly ourselves, so that's what I spend a lot of time doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-decker/we-have-a-lot-of-property-and-we-take-care-of-it-mostly-ourselves-so/) [Mary Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-decker/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. 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