"CEUX qui accusent les hommes d'aller tousjours beant apres les choses futures, et nous apprennent à nous saisir des biens presens, et nous rassoir en ceux-là : comme n'ayants aucune prise sur ce qui est à venir, voire assez moins que nous n'avons sur ce qui est passé, touchent la plus commune des humaines erreurs : s'ils osent appeller erreur, chose à quoy nature mesme nous achemine, pour le service de la continuation de son ouvrage, nous imprimant, comme assez d'autres, cette imagination fausse, plus jalouse de nostre action, que de nostre science. Nous ne sommes jamais chez nous, nous sommes tousjours au delà. La crainte, le desir, l'esperance, nous eslancent vers l'advenir : et nous desrobent le sentiment et la consideration de ce qui est, pour nous amuser à ce qui sera, voire quand nous ne serons plus. Calamitosus est animus futuri anxius.

Ce grand precepte est souvent allegué en Platon, « Fay ton faict, et te congnoy. » Chascun de ces deux membres enveloppe generallement tout nostre devoir : et semblablement enveloppe son compagnon. Qui auroit à faire son faict, verroit que sa premiere leçon, c'est cognoistre ce qu'il est, et ce qui luy est propre. Et qui se cognoist, ne prend plus l'estranger faict pour le sien : s'ayme, et se cultive avant toute autre chose : refuse les occupations superflues, et les pensees, et propositions inutiles. Comme la folie quand on luy octroyera ce qu'elle desire, ne sera pas contente : aussi est la sagesse contente de ce qui est present, ne se desplait jamais de soy.

Epicurus dispense son sage de la prevoyance et soucy de l'advenir." (Montaigne, "Nos affections s'emportent au delà de nous")

(THOSE which still accuse men for ever gaping after future things, and go about to teach us, to take hold of present fortunes, and settle our selves upon them, as having no hold of that which is to come; yea much lesse than we have of that which is already past, touch and are ever harping upon the commonest huma ne error, if they dare call that an error, to which Nature her selfe, for the service of the continuation of her worke, doth address us, imprinting (as it doth many others) this false imagination in us, as more jealous of our actions, than of our knowledg e. We are never in our selves, but beyond. Feare, desire, and hope, draw us ever towards that which is to come, and remove our sense and consideration from that which is, to amuse us on that which shall be, yea when we shall be no more. Calamitosus est animus futuri anxius.1 'A minde in suspense what is to come, is in a pittifull case.' This noble precept is often alleaged in Plato, 'Follow thy businesse and know thy selfe;' Each of these two members, doth generally imply all our duty; and likewise enfolds his companion. He that should doe his businesse might perceive that his first lesson is, to know what he is, and what is convenient for him. And he that knoweth himselfe, takes no more anothers matters for his owne, but above all other things, loveth and correcteth himselfe, rejecteth superfluous occupations, idle imaginations, and unprofitable propositions. As if you grant follie what it desireth, it will no-whit be satisfied; so is wisdome content with that which is present, and never displeased with it selfe. Epicurus doth dispense with his age touching the foresight and care of what shall insue.)

The point of Montaigne, if I understand it, is that many of the emotions we feel have to do with events that possibly, may, perhaps, will occur in the future. Often these emotions have positive results, such as hope, and often they have negative results such as fear. From my perspective, the measure of the emotions usefulness lies in its impetus to action in the present since it is clearly the present that decides the future. "Wisdom is content with that which is present, and never displeased with it selfe."