Journaling prompts provide targeted questions or themes that stimulate creativity and reflection, guiding us to explore our thoughts, emotions, and experiences more deeply. Michel de Montaigne, a late-blooming philosopher, spent much of his life worrying about death—an existential preoccupation that would, somewhat paradoxically, birth one of humanity’s most life-affirming practices. In many ways, Montaigne can be regarded as the “inventor” of journaling as we know it today. His seminal book Essays reads like a deeply intimate journal, and its candid exploration of the human experience continues to inspire. In fact, his reflections offer us timeless journaling prompts that invite a Montaigne-style contemplation of our inner worlds.
When we think of “essays,” we often conjure up memories of rigid school assignments. But the original essais—a term coined by Montaigne, meaning “attempts”—were far from the dry, academic drudgery we imagine.
His writings were messy, personal, and unfiltered—an experimental form that allowed him to roam freely through his thoughts. Today, these musings offer an invaluable resource for those seeking journaling prompts that cut to the heart of self-reflection.
If you’d like to learn about Montaigne as a Humanist, please check out our article “Midlife Crisis Through the Lens of Humanism”
If you’re pressed for time, feel free to scroll to the section “Journaling Prompts According to Montaigne”, where you’ll discover 19 thoughtful journaling prompts inspired by Montaigne’s reflections.
Journaling as Work in Progress
Far from being a literary genius from the outset, Montaigne was an ordinary man with an unremarkable early life.
After a stint in law and politics, he retired in his mid-30s to his family’s sprawling estate in France, where boredom and melancholy overtook him.
To stave off this existential ennui, he began writing, spilling his thoughts onto the page in what can only be described as the proto-journal. In that sense, journaling—as we practice it today—owes much to Montaigne’s Essays!
And the beauty of journaling, much like his Essays, lies in its imperfection. You never really “finish” with a prompt, much like you never really finish exploring your own thoughts.
These journaling prompts are cyclical—they evolve as we evolve, revealing new facets of ourselves each time we return to them.
Montaigne’s musings, as illuminated in Sarah Bakewell’s book How to Live, offer a profound look into why this form of reflection is so impactful.
His obsession with mortality, a fixation brought to life after losing his closest friend, family members, and even his first child, found relief in writing.
And while Montaigne’s Essays may seem far removed from our modern-day practice of journaling, the core of his philosophy—embracing the ordinary, confronting our fears, and seeking self-understanding—remains timeless.
After a near-fatal accident jolted Montaigne into an epiphany, he realized that life’s uncertainties need not paralyze us.
Writing became his refuge, a place to reconcile the messiness of life with the inner need for peace.
His reflections resonate with anyone who’s ever picked up a pen to unravel the tangled thoughts in their head. And they serve as perfect inspiration for crafting prompts for journaling that invite us to explore those same depths.
In Praise of the Ordinary
Montaigne’s greatest legacy may not be his musings on death but his embrace of the ordinary.
He believed that by examining himself, he was also examining humanity at large.
This philosophy has inspired countless writers, thinkers, and everyday people to keep journals, not as a record of greatness but as a practice of embracing imperfection. His insight shows that being “ordinary” is not only acceptable—it’s a gift.
And that, dear reader, is perhaps the most powerful message behind the journaling prompts you’ll find below: by reflecting on ourselves, we uncover universal truths about what it means to be human.
"By reflecting on ourselves, we uncover universal truths about what it means to be human." Share on XSo, let’s take a leaf from Montaigne’s notebook.
Below are some journaling prompts inspired by his contemplations. They are intended to provoke deep introspection and encourage an ongoing dialogue with yourself—one that, much like Montaigne’s Essays, will never really reach an end.
Journaling Prompts According to Montaigne
Ready? Here we go!
- “On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”
Consider the role of humility in your life. How do you stay grounded even when you achieve success? What practices keep you humble?
- “The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.”
Explore the concept of self-belonging. What does it mean to truly belong to yourself, and how do you practice this in your life?
- “I do not care so much what I am to others as I care what I am to myself.”
Write about how you view yourself versus how others view you. How can you shift your focus to prioritize your own perception of who you are?
- “I quote others only in order to better express myself.”
Reflect on how you use the words or ideas of others in your self-expression. How do quotes, books, or inspiration from others help you articulate your own thoughts?
- “When I am attacked by gloomy thoughts, nothing helps me so much as running to my books.”
What are your go-to strategies for dealing with negative emotions? How do books or other forms of knowledge help you regain peace of mind?
- “He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.”
Consider the role of fear in your life. How has the fear of future suffering impacted your present? How can you let go of those fears to live more freely?
- “If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I.”
Reflect on your relationships. How do you love others for who they truly are? How does your individuality shape the way you connect with others?
- “If I speak of myself in different ways, that is because I look at myself in different ways.”
Write about the various ways you see yourself. How has your self-perception evolved over time? How do different perspectives of yourself influence your choices?
- “Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.”
Reflect on a memory you’ve tried to forget but can’t. What is it about this memory that makes it stick? How can you find peace with it?
- “Learned we may be with another man’s learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.”
How do you differentiate between knowledge you’ve gained from others and wisdom you’ve cultivated yourself? What personal experiences have contributed to your own wisdom?
- “I am afraid that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, and that we have more curiosity than understanding.”
Reflect on times when your curiosity has exceeded your ability to understand. How do you balance your desire to learn with the patience to absorb what you’ve discovered?
- “There is nothing more notable in Socrates than that he found time, when he was an old man, to learn music and dancing.”
What new skill or passion would you like to learn, regardless of your age or stage in life? How can lifelong learning enrich your life?
- “Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.”
Reflect on something you once believed strongly but later realized you knew very little about. How did this realization change your perspective?
- “Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself.”
How do you balance giving your time and energy to others while maintaining time for yourself? What practices help you preserve your independence?
- “If there is such a thing as a good marriage, it is because it resembles friendship rather than love.”
Reflect on the friendships in your life that feel like deep connections. How do those relationships differ from romantic love, and what do they teach you about companionship?
- “To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind for it.”
Reflect on something you were forbidden or discouraged from doing. How did that restriction affect your desire to pursue it? How has this shaped your relationship with rules or boundaries?
- “Obsession is the wellspring of genius and madness.”
Write about something you’re deeply passionate about. Where does your obsession lie, and how does it border between inspiration and overwhelm.
- “There were many terrible things in my life and most of them never happened.”
Reflect on the worries or anxieties you’ve had in the past that never came true. How can this realization help you manage future anxieties?
- “To compose our character is our duty, not to compose books, and to win, not battles and provinces, but order and tranquility in our conduct.”
What does it mean to you to “compose” your character? How are you working to build inner order and tranquility in your life?
These journaling prompts inspired by Montaigne’s reflections are not just cues for writing—they are invitations to dive into the complexities of life, to embrace our imperfections, and to discover the joy in our ordinariness.
Keep returning to these prompts as your life evolves, because, much like Montaigne’s Essays, they will grow alongside you!
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