Blaise Pascal Quotes - Page 18

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Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature, but he is a thinking reed. There is no need for the whole universe to take up arms to crush him: a vapour, a drop of water is enough to kill him. but even if the universe were to crush him, man would still be nobler than his slayer, because he knows that he is dying and the advantage the universe has over him. The universe knows none of this.

Blaise Pascal

Crush, Men, Thinking

Blaise Pascal (2008). “Human Happiness”, Penguin Group USA

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Man is so great that his greatness appears even in the consciousness of his misery. A tree does not know itself to be miserable. It is true that it is misery indeed to know one's self to be miserable; but then it is greatness also. In this way, all man's miseries go to prove his greatness. They are the miseries of a mighty potentate, of a dethroned monarch.

Blaise Pascal

Greatness, Men, Self

Blaise Pascal (1829). “Thoughts on Religion and Other Subjects”, p.66

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There is a certain standard of grace and beauty which consists in a certain relation between our nature, such as it is, weak or strong, and the thing which pleases us. Whatever is formed according to this standard pleases us, be it house, song, discourse, verse, prose, woman, birds, rivers, trees, room, dress, and so on. Whatever is not made according to this standard displeases those who have good taste.

Blaise Pascal

Beauty, Song, Strong

Blaise Pascal (2010). “Thoughts, Letters & Minor Works”, p.16, Cosimo, Inc.

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Imagination magnifies small objects with fantastic exaggeration until they fill our soul, and with bold insolence cuts down great things to its own size, as when speaking of God.

Blaise Pascal

Cutting, Small Objects, Imagination

Blaise Pascal (2008). “Human Happiness”, Penguin Group USA

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To speak freely of mathematics, I find it the highest exercise of the spirit; but at the same time I know that it is so useless that I make little distinction between a man who is only a mathematician and a common artisan. Also, I call it the most beautiful profession in the world; but it is only a profession.

Blaise Pascal

Beautiful, Exercise, Men

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All men are almost led to believe not of proof, but by attraction. This way is base, ignoble, and irrelevant; every one therefore disavows it. Each one professes to believe and even to love
nothing but what he knows to be worthy of belief and love.

Blaise Pascal

Believe, Men, And Love

Blaise Pascal (2010). “Thoughts, Letters & Minor Works”, p.406, Cosimo, Inc.

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To find recreation in amusements is not happiness; for this joy springs from alien and extrinsic sources, and is therefore dependent upon and subject to interruption by a thousand accidents, which may minister inevitable affliction.

Blaise Pascal

Spring, Joy, May

Blaise Pascal (1829). “Thoughts on Religion and Other Subjects”, p.266

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As we speak of poetical beauty, so ought we to speak of mathematical beauty and medical beauty. But we do not do so; and that reason is that we know well what is the object of mathematics, and that it consists in proofs, and what is the object of medicine, and that it consists in healing. But we do not know in what grace consists, which is the object of poetry.

Blaise Pascal

Beauty, Healing, Medicine

Blaise Pascal (2010). “Thoughts, Letters & Minor Works”, p.17, Cosimo, Inc.

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Since we cannot be universal and know all that is to be known of everything, we ought to know a little about everything. For it is far better to know something about everything than to know all about one thing. This universality is the best. If we can have both, still better; but if we must choose, we ought to choose the former.

Blaise Pascal

Knowledge, Knows, One Thing

"Thoughts, Letters & Minor Works".

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A little thing comforts us because a little thing afflicts us.

Blaise Pascal

Comfort, Littles, Little Things

Blaise Pascal, Thomas Adam, Edward Bickersteth (1833). “Thoughts on religion”, p.121

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Reverend Fathers, my letters did not usually follow each other at such close intervals, nor were they so long.... This one would not be so long had I but the leisure to make it shorter.

Blaise Pascal

Father, Math, Long

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The two principles of truth, reason and senses, are not only both not genuine, but are engaged in mutual deception. The senses deceive reason through false appearances, and the senses are disturbed by passions, which produce false impressions.

Blaise Pascal

Passion, Two, Deception

Blaise Pascal (1966). “Pascal Pensées”, Penguin Classics

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The sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.

Blaise Pascal

Math, Men, Doe

c.1654-1662 Pense es, no.139 (translated byA Krailsheimer).

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The parts of the universe ... all are connected with each other in such a way that I think it to be impossible to understand any one without the whole.

Blaise Pascal

Science, Thinking, Way

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What is it, in your opinion, to be a great nobleman? It is to be master of several objects that men covet, and thus to be able to satisfy the wants and the desires of many. It is these
wants and these desires that attract them towards you, and that make them submit to you: were it not for these, they would not even look at you; but they hope, by these services... to obtain
from you some part of the good which they desire, and of which they see that you have the disposal.

Blaise Pascal

Men, Desire, Looks

Blaise Pascal (1961). “Thoughts”

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The consciousness of the falsity of present pleasures, and the ignorance of the vanity of absent pleasures, cause inconstancy.

Blaise Pascal

Ignorance, Vanity, Causes

Blaise Pascal (2010). “Thoughts, Letters & Minor Works”, p.47, Cosimo, Inc.

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If he exalts himself, I humble him. If he humbles himself, I exalt him. And I go on contradicting him Until he understands That he is a monster that passes all understanding.

Blaise Pascal

Humble, Understanding, Monsters

Blaise Pascal (1966). “Pascal Pensées”, Penguin Classics

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The only thing which consoles for our miseries is diversion, and yet this is the greatest of our miseries. For it is this which principally hinders us from reflecting upon ourselves and which makes us imperceptibly ruin ourselves.

Blaise Pascal

Sadness, Reflecting Upon, Ruins

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The heart has its order, the mind has its own, which uses principles and demonstrations. The heart has a different one. We do not prove that we ought to be loved by setting out in order the causes of love; that would be absurd.

Blaise Pascal

Heart, Order, Mind

Blaise Pascal (1966). “Pascal Pensées”, Penguin Classics

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As men are not able to fight against death, misery, ignorance, they have taken it into their heads, in order to be happy, not to think of them at all.

Blaise Pascal

Taken, Ignorance, Sadness

Blaise Pascal (2007). “Thoughts”, p.63, Cosimo, Inc.

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All men naturally hate one another. I hold it a fact, that if men knew exactly what one says of the other, there would not be four friends in the world.

Blaise Pascal

Hate, Men, World

Blaise Pascal (1829). “Thoughts on Religion and Other Subjects”, p.276

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Extremes are for us as though they were not, and we are not within their notice. They escape us, or we them. This is our true state; this is what makes us incapable of certain knowledge and of absolute ignorance... This is our natural condition, and yet most contrary to our inclination; we burn with desire to find solid ground and an ultimate sure foundation whereon to build a tower reaching to the Infinite. But our whole groundwork cracks, and the earth opens to abysses.

Blaise Pascal

Ignorance, Knowledge, Desire

"Pensées" by Blaise Pascal, (Ch. 72), 1669.

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No soul of high estate can take pleasure in slander. It betrays a weakness.

Blaise Pascal

Betrayal, Soul, Weakness

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This is what I see, and what troubles me. I look on all sides, and everywhere I see nothing but obscurity. Nature offers me nothing that is not a matter of doubt and disquiet.

Blaise Pascal

Doubt, Obscurity, Looks

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Vanity is so anchored in the heart of man that a soldier, a soldier's servant, a cook, a porter brags and wishes to have his admirers. Even philosophers wish for them. Those who write against vanity want to have the glory of having written well; and those who read it desire the glory of having read it. I who write this have perhaps this desire, and perhaps those who will read it.

Blaise Pascal

Philosophical, Writing, Heart

Blaise Pascal (2013). “Pensées”, p.46, Courier Corporation

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Born: June 19, 1623
Died: August 19, 1662
Occupation: Mathematician
Cite this Page: Citation

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