Pascal Quotes

That something so obvious as the vanity of the world should be so little recognized that people find it odd and surprising to be told that it is foolish to seek greatness; that is most remarkable.

Making fun of philosophy is really philosophising.

Nature has made all her truths independent of one another. Our art makes one dependent on the other. But this is not natural. Each keeps its own place.

Equality of possessions is no doubt right, but, as men could not make might obey right, they have made right obey might.

The authority of reason is far more imperious than that of a master; for he who disobeys the one is unhappy, but he who disobeys the other is a fool.

It is not possible to have reasonable grounds for not believing in miracles.

Seeing too much to deny and too little to be sure, I am in a state to be pitied.

The last thing that we find in making a book is to know what we must put first.

Most of the evils of life arise from man's being unable to sit still in a room.

We never live, but we hope to live; and as we are always arranging to be happy, it must be that we never are so.

The weakness of human reason appears more evidently in those who know it not than in those who know it.

Voluptuousness, like justice, is blind, but that is the only resemblance between them.

When we wish to correct with advantage, and to show another that he errs, we must notice from what side he views the matter, for on that side it is usually true.

The people with the most fear have the greatest opportunity to be brave.

Life's one great lesson was: Do not care. Not caring was a person's real protection.

I don't do rewrites. I put all the pages in a pile next to the typewriter.

You see, Suzanne, history lectures bore me, art films bore me, your friends bore me, and, if you want to know the truth, I guess you bore me too.

Roger Collins wasn't the most popular teacher at school only because he was interesting in class. In fact, most of the girls would have loved a little after-class attention from this teacher.

He slowed down a bit more. "Gaia, how do you know these things?" She shrugged. "I'm smart." "And modest, too." "Modesty is a waste of time," she pronounced. "I'll keep that in mind.

I always had a fascination with twins.

I always loved reading. Growing up, my favorite book was 'A Child's Garden of Verses,' by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Since I was a small child, I was always writing either poems or plays... plays in which I had the starring part.

The same way that some people can play the piano, I can do plots! They just come!

Nature compensates for its mistakes.

Humiliation, by the way, is a truly terrible emotion. It's at the bottom of the pile.

She figured if you weren't woman enough to carry your doughnuts with pride, you shouldn't be eating them.

But the way I see it, dying without knowing love would be a tragedy.

Honestly, I don't like to brag about myself, but I really think I'm the only boxer who came out better from a Hopkins fight.

The beauty about boxing fights is that they offer lots of opportunity to really learn something about yourself and your opponent.

Art without knowledge is nothing!

You construct your happiness as you construct a house and you have to work on it. It is a daily job.

Russia and Ukraine are candidates for the entry to the WTO and their dispute would be easy to understand and tackle if they are both members of this organization.

We are all patchwork, and so shapeless and diverse in composition that each bit, each moment, plays its own game. And there is as much difference between us and ourselves as between us and others

Eloquence is painted thought, and thus those who, after having painted it, add somewhat more, make a picture, not a portrait.

Eloquence.— We need both what is pleasing and what is real, but that which pleases must itself be drawn from the true.

In every action we must look beyond the action at our past, present and future state, and at others whom it affects, and see the relations of all these things.

Il n'est pas certain que tout soit incertain.(Translation: It is not certain that everything is uncertain.)

The heart has its reasons which reason knows not.

I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.", 1657)

I made this [letter] very long, because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter.

To make light of philosophy is to be a true philosopher.

Δύο υπερβολές : ν' αποκλείουμε το Λόγο, και να μη δεχόμαστε παρά μόνο το Λόγο.

He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God's providence to lead him aright

There are three sources of belief: reason, custom, inspiration.

No religion except ours has taught that man is born in sin none of the philosophical sects has admitted it none therefore has spoken the truth

Since we cannot know all there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything.

Men spend their time in following a ball or a hare it is the pleasure even of kings.

Few friendships would survive if each one knew what his friend says of him behind his back

All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

There is a certain standard of grace and beauty which consists in a certain relation between our nature... and the thing which pleases us.