Montaigne and Bacon

At first, the names above reminded me of some sort of glorified omelet; but after reading a few lines of their works,  I realized I was in for a tastier treat.

My reactions to each reading selection:

-MONTAIGNE-

On the Power of Imagination:

• He chooses to "avoid [imagination] rather than resist it," but I disagree
• I agree in with him in saying that some folk seem to bring sickness upon themselves- (hellooo hypochondriacs).  
• Interesting point on page 43 "Does it always desire what we wish it to desire?" (involuntary movements reveal what we are truly thinking-p.42)
• Did the old colloquium "If looks could kill" come from the story on p. 45? (belief from the Greeks about a women in Scythia)
• Confused with the last sentence- Is he saying that not much of what he wrote is true?  Was he using his imagination to concoct stories to get his point across?  Only one mention of a personal case...

On Friendship:

• "Of a perfect society friendship is the peak." p. 92
• Children don't feel friendship with parents, they feel respect. (But does this change over time?)
• Compares marriage  and friendship with the opinion that the defining factor is that marriage has complications and friendship does not...  I disagree.  It seems as thought both can be rather complicated at times.
• True friendship means you don't even have to think about it- you help them without even being aware of your aiding.  (I agree!)
• "I choose the amusing rather than the wise..." (Great line- starting to really like this Montagne guy) -p.102
• "... in bed I prefer beauty to goodness" (Oh. Wait. Well at least he's being honest.)
• Final thought: Was this written as a tribute to his brother?

On Cannibals:

• "We need either a vary truthful man, or one so ignorant he has no material with which to construct false theories and make them credible." (This is the exact reason why I love working with kids- they say everything how it is!  They don't know etiquette, or politeness when it comes to issues that 'grown-ups' tip-toe around- if you have a bad haircut they will say it right to your face and see nothing wrong.) -p.108
• "With all our efforts we cannot imitate the nest of the nest of the vary smallest bird," (beautiful line, great point) - p. 109
• Describes where 'these people' live, what they eat and drink, what they do, who their religious figures are all without mention that they are cannibalistic.
• Montaigne explains that they do not do this for nourishment- as a means of vengeance. (yikes.)
• Best line of the cannibal article: "A man's value and reputation depend on his heart and his resolution; there his true honor lies." -p.116

-BACON-

Of Studies:

• "To spend too much time in them is sloth." (Instead of sitting around reading, DO something with the knowledge you gained.)
• "Some books are to be tasted, others chewed and digested." (I was going to make a joke about hi last name being 'bacon' but since I really like this line, and agree with this idea I won't.)

Of friendship:

• "Without friendship, society is but a meeting." (Simple, great concept and visual) -p. 301

Of Travel:

• If your young travel means education, if you're old, travel means experience- something I never thought about, but really can relate to.
• Bacon explains what the traveler should being with him, do while he travels, what he should eat, and how he should dress.  After studying abroad a line that really stood out to me is when Bacon writes that instead of showing through your dress or style that you learned from the traveling experience, people should be able to know through your disposition and lifestyle.

Of friendship:

• Bacon explains that true friendship causes the heart to swell.
• What makes one friend happy should make the other just as happy- true friends exchange joy without even knowing.
• Ancients say that 'a friend is another himself'; but Bacon says that a friend is "far more than himself." -p.395

Of Plantations:

• A plantation shall be in pure soil
• One should only have worthy friends aid in the plantation.
• After the plantation grows, women shall begin helping the men so that it can spread to generations
• (To be honest, this last selection on plantations didn't do it for me- I wrote down what I felt was important, but I didn't connect to the text like I did with the other selections.

Overall, I must admit that I secretly enjoyed these readings.  I interrupted my own reading sessions to tell a few lines that I liked-or disliked- to my roommate.  This is usually the dead giveaway to my enjoyment of certain homework assignments.

Thank you Montaigne and Bacon for being a part of my complete breakfast.