This French Guy Invented Therapy 400 Years Before Psychology Existed

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]In 1580, Michel de Montaigne locked himself in a tower with one simple question: Who am I, really? He started writing about his thoughts, his fears, his contradictions. Not to impress anyone, but to understand himself. He called these writings essays, meaning attempts. Attempts to capture the messy, complicated truth of being human. 400 years before modern psychology existed, Montaigne discovered something profound.

[00:00:29]Writing about yourself with brutal honesty doesn't just reveal who you are, it transforms who you become. Every journal entry is an experiment in self-knowledge. [music] Every honest reflection builds wisdom.

[00:00:42]The path to inner peace isn't found in books about others. It's written in your own words about yourself.