--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no desire more natural than the…" description: "\"There is no desire more natural than the desire for knowledge.\" — Michel de Montaigne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/michel-de-montaigne-142_desire_there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the_848955.jpg" --- # There is no desire more natural than the desire for… ![“There is no desire more natural than the desire for knowledge.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/michel-de-montaigne-142_desire_there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the_848955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/michel-de-montaigne-142_desire_there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the_848955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/michel-de-montaigne-142_desire_there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the_848955.jpg) > “There is no desire more natural than the desire for knowledge.” [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 naturally seeks knowledge; the desire to learn is intrinsic. **In simple terms:** People naturally want to learn. Key Takeaway Cultivate curiosity as a fundamental drive. Themes curiosity learning human nature Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - research - personal growth Key Concepts epistemology psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you channel your thirst for knowledge? - What limits your learning? A Different Perspective Desire for knowledge can be misdirected without critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [There is no desire more natural than the desire of knowledge. (Il n'est desir plus naturel que le desir de connaissance)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the-desire-of-knowledge-il-n-est/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Hopefully there will come a time when I have no words, when I can honor and hold that kind of stillness that I so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/hopefully-there-will-come-a-time-when-i-have-no-words-when-i-can/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-from-the-philosopher-the-pleasure-of-being-heard-and-his-desire/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Ardent desire for knowledge, in fact, is the one motive attracting and supporting investigators in their efforts; and just this knowledge, really grasped and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/ardent-desire-for-knowledge-in-fact-is-the-one-motive-attracting-and/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [“The natural desire of the human mind is to become special - to become special in the ways of the world, to have many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-natural-desire-of-the-human-mind-is-to-become-special-to-become-2/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [The natural desire of good men is knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-natural-desire-of-good-men-is-knowledge/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [As the eye naturally seeks the light and vision, and our body naturally desires food and drink, so our mind is possessed with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/origen/as-the-eye-naturally-seeks-the-light-and-vision-and-our-body/) [Origen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/origen/) > [“If we see some admirable work of human art, we are at once eager to investigate the nature, the manner, the end of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-l-shelley/if-we-see-some-admirable-work-of-human-art-we-are-at-once-eager-to/) [Bruce L. Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-l-shelley/) > [We can do nothing ourselves; God must do it. To speak to Him thus is easier by nature for woman than for man because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-stein/we-can-do-nothing-ourselves-god-must-do-it-to-speak-to-him-thus-is/) [Edith Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-stein/) > [“Hail! natural desire! Hail! happiness! divine happiness! and pleasure of all sorts, flowers and wine, though one fades and the other intoxicates; and half-crown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/hail-natural-desire-hail-happiness-divine-happiness-and-pleasure-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [We see that God has implanted in all things a natural desire to exist with the fullest measure of existence that is compatible with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-of-cusa/we-see-that-god-has-implanted-in-all-things-a-natural-desire-to-exist/) [Nicholas of Cusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-of-cusa/) > [Psychics exploit the human beings' natural desire that longs for something higher. … The same way a pimp exploits the natural desire to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-o-donnell/psychics-exploit-the-human-beings-natural-desire-that-longs-for/) [Christine O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-o-donnell/) > [The natural desire of the human mind is to become special - to become special in the ways of the world, to have many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-natural-desire-of-the-human-mind-is-to-become-special-to-become/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [Trying to be liked is a natural desire for us. Being liked is a source of validation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/trying-to-be-liked-is-a-natural-desire-for-us-being-liked-is-a-source/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [We have lost contact with man's natural desire for the exalted, for a concern with our relation to absolute emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barnett-newman/we-have-lost-contact-with-man-s-natural-desire-for-the-exalted-for-a/) [Barnett Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barnett-newman/) ## 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 Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no desire more natural than the desire for knowledge.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel de Montaigne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the-desire-for-knowledge/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the-desire-for-knowledge/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/michel-de-montaigne-142_desire_there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the_848955.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/michel-de-montaigne-142_desire_there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the_848955.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/michel-de-montaigne-142_desire_there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the_848955.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no desire more natural than the desire for knowledge.” — 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": "There is no desire more natural...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the-desire-for-knowledge/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/there-is-no-desire-more-natural-than-the-desire-for-knowledge/#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 } } ] } ```