“The best way to lengthen one's life is not to shorten it.”Michel de Montaigne · Eseuri · 1580 · III, 13
We don't lengthen life by adding something, but by dropping what shortens it.
Montaigne mocks the human obsession with elixirs and longevity recipes. The length of life cannot be artificially inflated; it can only be left uncut. The mechanism is negative: health is preserved by avoiding excesses, needless risks, and the states that erode it. A person who eats moderately, sleeps enough, and does not chase dangers usually outlives one who hunts for miracles.
Montaigne treats health as a duty, not a project to enrich. You do not add years; you stop losing them. That changes the question: not "what more can I do for myself?", but "what am I actually doing against myself?" Think of someone buying expensive supplements while sleeping four hours a night and drinking too much. His effort goes into additions, while the damage stays. Montaigne proposes the reverse: first stop the leak, then, maybe, add. It is gardener's logic: you cannot fill a bucket with a hole. The next step is to see what, in everyday life, keeps the bucket open.
Why it matters Useful for anyone tempted by quick health fixes: the best strategy is removing what shortens you.