Social constraints are not a new phenomenon in history. In one way or another, they have existed as long as social structures. They reflect the displeasure of the people who hold the dominant opinions, and their attempts to prevent criticism and irreverent comments. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) wrote essays entailing self-discovery and self-expression, but at the same time, he avoided acute controversy and provocation. He wisely spoke in favour of tolerance, and refrained from putting his figures on somebody else’s wounds. In Montaigne’s own experience, people who refuse to consider soft arguments are seldom amenable to harsh ones. Montaigne’s essay “That the Hour of Parley is Dangerous,” establishes reasonable limits for self-discovery, self-expression and debate. I mean reasonable limits for doing it in public. The point of Montaigne is to identify disproportionate risks and dangers, and steer away from them. Instead of wasting our time and energies in acrimonious debates, Montaigne wants to ensure that we can keep pursuing self-development tomorrow and the day after. Nowadays, people complain when they are confronted with any kind of restraints to self-discovery or self-expression. Fair enough, I understand their grievances and find them frequently justified. However, today’s problems in that area are insignificant if we compare them with Montaigne’s century; he lived in France in the sixteenth century, amidst fierce religious wars. Montaigne witnessed first-hand intense religious hatred and persecution, murders and confiscations; hundreds of thousands resorted to leaving the country and going into exile, mostly to The Netherlands; those who remained in France had to keep a low profile, fearing the sudden re-ignition of social strife. When people hate each other, noted Montaigne, they rarely listen to arguments. Emotions take over and prevent rationality from functioning; and without dialogue, negotiation becomes practically impossible. Montaigne is warning us against attempting self-discovery, self-expression or personal development amidst hostility. If we are lucky, we will have wasted our time and energy. If we are not, we will have made dangerous enemies for life. Overall, it is an awful strategy to seek self-discovery or self-expression amongst hateful people. Who on earth has the energy to invest in counterproductive activities? There are much better ways to pursue personal development. Let us heed Montaigne’s advice in this respect. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-limits-of-michel-de-montaignes-self-discovery-and-self-expression/