How did Montaigne develop his ideas?
My method is to wander through subjects, like a bee, gathering honey from all quarters – from ancient authors, from my own life, from the customs of distant lands. I do not attempt to establish definitive truths, but rather to present a continuous exploration, a process of thinking aloud on paper. It is through this free association, this accumulation of diverse examples, that one can best apprehend the fluid and varied nature of our existence.
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