I learned something surprising from Michel de Montaigne: We can turn pessimism into optimism, not by telling ourselves that everything will be fine, but by living intelligently and accepting the fact that things often go wrong.

Montaigne lived in sixteenth-century France, during religious wars, political instability, epidemics, and extraordinary violence. He also suffered from kidney stones, lost his closest friend, and eventually withdrew from public life to write his famous essays.

And yet, in reading Montaigne, I don’t encounter a man obsessed with catastrophe.

I encounter someone practising the art of rational optimism.

From Montaigne’s life, here are five insights about how to turn pessimism into optimism:

Number five: stay away from conflicts and quarrels.

Montaigne lived in a country torn apart by conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. 

Montaigne could have joined the fray and turned away from people in the opposite camp.

Instead, he repeatedly argued for empathy and moderation.

When he became mayor of Bordeaux, he tried to minimise political and religious tensions instead of exacerbating them.

That’s a profound idea.

We live in a culture where everyone is encouraged to defend his opinions aggressively.

Montaigne adopted a different approach, one that makes me optimistic about human nature:

Very often, wisdom means refusing to fight.

Not every criticism deserves an answer.

Not every disagreement deserves a debate.

And not every situation is worth our time and energy.

Keeping our peace of mind is crucial for remaining optimistic.

Number four: putting today’s problems into perspective by reading history.

Montaigne loved reading history books, and whenever he faced a problem, he compared it with the past.

He loved the ancient stories from Plutarch, Livy, and Tacitus because they help us see today’s problems in perspective, that is, without blowing them out of proportion.

When something terrible happens to us, the mind says:

“This is terrible. This is the end of the world.”

But thanks to his knowledge of history, Montaigne told himself:

“No, this problem shall pass, too.”

So I feel overwhelmed by today’s headlines, I imitate Montaigne.

I turn to reading history.

I read about people who have survived wars, exile, epidemics, political collapse, and personal tragedy.

It doesn’t make my problems disappear.

But it helps me put them in perspective.

And very often, perspective is the basis of optimism.

Number three: making a Plan B.

Montaigne’s entire philosophy is an argument against the idea that the future is fixed.

His studies of history have taught him how quickly circumstances can change. How quickly things can improve.

This is one of the most useful lessons from Montaigne:

Let us not make our happiness depend on a particular outcome.

If one thing doesn’t work, we can make a plan B and change direction.

If one strategy fails, we can adopt a better one.

Having a Plan B is crucial to remaining optimistic.

We become less afraid of failure when we know that failure isn’t the end of the story.

Number two: pursuing our lifetime goals every day.

Montaigne quit his legal career and retired to live in the countryside and devote himself to writing.

He wrote, revised, added, and crossed things out for two decades.

And there’s something beautiful about that.

Montaigne didn’t wait to become an accomplished writer before beginning his work.

Instead, he practiced every day.

He read.

He wrote.

And he kept improving.

Montaigne did not ask himself:

“Have I achieved my life’s purpose yet?”

but:

“Did I move toward it today?”

One paragraph.

One page.

Optimism isn’t built in a one-time achievement.

It’s built through thousands of ordinary days.

And finally, number one: befriending people who share our ideas.

This may be the most beautiful lesson of all.

Montaigne’s closest intellectual friendship was with Étienne de La Boétie.

They met when Montaigne was a young magistrate, and the friendship became extraordinarily important to him.

When La Boétie died suddenly in 1563, Montaigne was devastated.

What did Montagne do? He devoted himself to his writing and publicising his work, and when he did so, he made another remarkable friend.

In 1588, Montaigne met Marie de Gournay, a young intellectual who had already read and admired his work.

They immediately recognized something in one another and became close friends. The friendship with Marie de Gournay greatly contributed to Montaigne’s happiness.

Befriending people who share our ideas can help us remain happy and optimistic about the future.

It can strengthen our courage and helps us view the world in a positive light.

So whenever I want to turn pessimism into optimism, I remember Montaigne.

If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”