We all know individuals who lack a sense of direction. They drift from day to day because they lack long-term objectives. I find it no surprise then that their decisions are inconsistent and undermine each other. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) had observed exactly the same phenomenon in his contemporaries. Few of them had set up goals for themselves, and even fewer pursued those goals in a consistent manner. Self-discovery is the process of getting to know oneself, our likes and dislikes, our strengths and weaknesses, our hopes and expectations. Goal-setting is the consequence of self-discovery, the consequence of projecting our identity over time. Montaigne emphasised self-discovery, which he regarded as a prerequisite of goal-setting. Why? Because we need a precise alignment between our identity and our goals. If we don’t know our values and convictions, we cannot project them over time. Unfortunately, there are many false paths to self-discovery. If we walk a false path, we will end up in self-delusion or self-inflicted blindness. Alertness is crucial when choosing a path to self-discovery because there are many vested interests leading people astray or, even worse, making them run in circles, wasting their energies. Montaigne’s essay “On Physiognomy” illustrates a widely spread error in the process of self-discovery. The error consists of adopting a spurious identity simply because it is available or convenient. The essay was written in the south of France in 1588, when Montaigne had turned fifty-five years old. The key message of the essay is that we cannot establish a person’s identity just by looking at his physiognomy. Montaigne’s observation about a person’s physiognomy also applies to a person’s attire, way of speaking, social position, or mannerisms. All those may provide clues, but not a full picture of someone’s identity. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/michel-de-montaigne-and-the-true-path-to-self-discovery/