--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To forbid us anything is to make us have…" description: "\"To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to 't.\" — Michel de Montaigne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/michel-de-montaigne-142_censorship_to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have_794996.jpg" --- # To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to 't. ![“To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to 't.” quote by Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/michel-de-montaigne-142_censorship_to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have_794996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/michel-de-montaigne-142_censorship_to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have_794996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/michel-de-montaigne-142_censorship_to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have_794996.jpg) > “To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to 't.” [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. Prohibiting anything sparks curiosity and desire to experience it. **In simple terms:** Forbidden things become more tempting. Key Takeaway Avoid over‑restriction to prevent rebellion. Themes freedom curiosity authority Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - education - parenting - legislation - marketing Key Concepts philosophy psychology political theory Questions to Reflect On - When does restriction become protective? - How to balance freedom and safety? A Different Perspective Some restrictions are necessary for safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Law of attraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-of-attraction/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have-a-mind-for-it/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [It has been proven now scientifically that, an affirmative thought is hundreds of times more powerful than a negative thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/it-has-been-proven-now-scientifically-that-an-affirmative-thought-is/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [“Positive people like you all who spread positive energy achieve success in life. I have trained more than 10,000 students by now in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/positive-people-like-you-all-who-spread-positive-energy-achieve/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [Who you're becoming is far more important than what you're doing, and yet, it is what you're doing that is determining who you're becoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/who-you-re-becoming-is-far-more-important-than-what-you-re-doing-and/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [It's not what is available or unavailable that determines your level of success and happiness; it's what you convince yourself is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-not-what-is-available-or-unavailable-that-determines-your-level/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [You can change your life, because you have an unlimited ability to think and talk about what you love, and so you have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/you-can-change-your-life-because-you-have-an-unlimited-ability-to/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [Have faith in your imaginel act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-goddard/have-faith-in-your-imaginel-act/) [Neville Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-goddard/) > [Love is an element which though physically unseen is as real as air or water. It is an acting, living, moving force... it moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prentice-mulford/love-is-an-element-which-though-physically-unseen-is-as-real-as-air/) [Prentice Mulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prentice-mulford/) > [You cannot perceive what you are not in the vibration of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-anka/you-cannot-perceive-what-you-are-not-in-the-vibration-of/) [Darryl Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-anka/) > [In my studio, I forbid people to work if they have a down day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-wanders/in-my-studio-i-forbid-people-to-work-if-they-have-a-down-day/) [Marcel Wanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-wanders/) > [Forbid us something, and that thing we desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-chaucer/forbid-us-something-and-that-thing-we-desire/) [Geoffrey Chaucer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-chaucer/) > [One must never forbid oneself anything. One must also be able to go back, one must always be able to change...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-hartung/one-must-never-forbid-oneself-anything-one-must-also-be-able-to-go/) Hans Hartung > [If a king tries to start a war, a mother should go to him and forbid it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-rousseau/if-a-king-tries-to-start-a-war-a-mother-should-go-to-him-and-forbid-it/) [Henri Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-rousseau/) > [The Lord forbid that I should be out of debt, as if indeed I could not be trusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/the-lord-forbid-that-i-should-be-out-of-debt-as-if-indeed-i-could-not/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [“God forbid, if something happened & she lost him for good, she would give up anything to have him back. Anything & everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-harbison/god-forbid-if-something-happened-she-lost-him-for-good-she-would-give/) [Beth Harbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-harbison/) ## 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 Censorship quotes > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [“Censors don’t want children exposed to ideas different from their own. If every individual with an agenda had his/her way, the shelves in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/censors-don-t-want-children-exposed-to-ideas-different-from-their-own/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/censorship-is-the-child-of-fear-and-the-father-of-ignorance/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [I don't believe in censorship in any form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-bigelow/i-don-t-believe-in-censorship-in-any-form/) [Kathryn Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-bigelow/) > [We must be talented, powerful and resilient creatures indeed given how much we manage to produce despite the constant undercutting, ridicule and needless censorship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/we-must-be-talented-powerful-and-resilient-creatures-indeed-given-how/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [When there is official censorship it is a sign that speech is serious. Where there is none, it is pretty certain that the official…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/when-there-is-official-censorship-it-is-a-sign-that-speech-is-serious/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [“I agree that it's a shame some books have to suffer ratings that clearly are invalid. However I can't think of a way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-y-chandler/i-agree-that-it-s-a-shame-some-books-have-to-suffer-ratings-that/) Otis Y. Chandler > [I think that, honestly, people's censorship issues are personal but I disagree with most of those personal choices that I see others make. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-think-that-honestly-people-s-censorship-issues-are-personal-but-i/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [Art made tongue-tied by authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/art-made-tongue-tied-by-authority/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“The tendency to want what has been banned and therefore to presume that it is more worthwhile is not limited to such commodities as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-cialdini/the-tendency-to-want-what-has-been-banned-and-therefore-to-presume/) [Robert B. Cialdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-cialdini/) > [The only thing that is obscene is censorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-thing-that-is-obscene-is-censorship/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a feature film, the question of censorship always comes up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-jaffrey/in-a-feature-film-the-question-of-censorship-always-comes-up/) [Javed Jaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-jaffrey/) > [“Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/don-t-join-the-book-burners-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-conceal/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [ If no one speaks out for \[young readers\], if they don’t speak out for themselves, all they’ll get for required reading will be the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/if-no-one-speaks-out-for-young-readers-if-they-don-t-speak-out-for/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) [Browse all 884 Censorship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to 't.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel de Montaigne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have-a-mind-to-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Censorship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have-a-mind-to-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/michel-de-montaigne-142_censorship_to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have_794996.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/michel-de-montaigne-142_censorship_to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have_794996.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/michel-de-montaigne-142_censorship_to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have_794996.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to 't.” — 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": "To forbid us anything is to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have-a-mind-to-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/to-forbid-us-anything-is-to-make-us-have-a-mind-to-t/#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 } } ] } ```