“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”Michel de Montaigne · Eseuri · 1580 · Eseuri, Cartea III, cap. 13
Social status does not change fundamental human nature, it merely covers its superficiality.
Montaigne demystifies power and social status. Even a king sits on his throne with the same body subject to physiological needs as any other human. This humorous image reminds us that social ranks are superficial. For example, an emperor still must eat, sleep, and use the toilet, just like his lowliest subject.
Montaigne does not just equalize people through biology; he shows that this very vulnerability makes us capable of true wisdom. When a company director worries about an important meeting and forgets to eat, he falls into the same trap as the king who thought himself above human needs. Accepting our limits frees us from pretense.
Why it matters In a world obsessed with status and image, this aphorism helps us stay humble and not be fooled by appearances.