Painting by Thomas de Leu (Franco-Flemish painter and engraver, 1560–1612, active 1580-1610). An engraving of this painting was published in the first edition of Montaigne’s Essais, 1617. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” — Michel de Montaigne
(Is this one of those be comfortable in your own skin quotes? Or a “To thine own self be true” thing? I’m feeling a little thick today. Be well and do good, friends.) — YUR
Related articles
- Montaigne’s Rule for Reading: Pursue Pleasure (farnamstreetblog.com)
- Windham Campbell Prizes: The Art of the Essay (robaroundbooks.com)
- The lost hope of self-help (aeon.co)
- The Tao of Seneca: Letters from a Stoic Master (fourhourworkweek.com)
- Hilltop Hoods Have A Brand New Song ‘1955’ (noise11.com)
- Why We Read: Polish Poet and Nobel Laureate Wislawa Szymborska on What Books Do for the Human Spirit (brainpickings.org)
- West Hollywood’s Galerie Montaigne Opens With Style (stackstreet.com)
- Ez and Tom, on the campaign trail? (henrybemisbookseller.blogspot.com)
Unclerave's Wordy Weblog 
I’m pondering that, too, UR. I’m thinking the author’s phrase “être à” means “belong to” in a sense similar to “own.” He might have meant something like “own yourself” or “be your own master,” but it really is a bit ambiguous.
So, you know the original French! Very impressive, hal! I’ll buy your suppositions. But, I agree it is a bit ambiguous. — YUR