Blaise Pascal Quotes

Let each one examine his thoughts, and he will find them all occupied with the past and the future. We scarcely ever think of the present; and if we think of it, it is only to take light from it to arrange the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end. [78] So we never live, but we hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable we should never be so.

Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it might be true. The cure for this is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is.

Eloquence. There must be elements both pleasing and real, but what is pleasing must itself be drawn from what is true.

Todas las miserias de la humanidad se deben a una sola cosa: a que somos incapaces de estar sentados solos y en silencio en una habitación

God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars...Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy...'This is life eternal that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.' Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ...May I not fall from him forever...I will not forget your word. Amen.

One must know oneself. Even if that does not help in finding truth, at least it helps in running one's life, and nothing is more proper.

Wretchedness induces despair. Pride produces presumption. The incarnation shows man the greatness of his wretchedness through the greatness of the remedy required.

La puissance des rois est fondée sur la raison et sur la folie du peuple, et bien plus sur la folie.

Any man can do what Mahomet did. For he preformed miracles and was not foretold. No man can do what Christ did.

The art of opposition and of revolution is to unsettle established customs, sounding them even to their source, to point out their want of authority and justice.

There is enough light to enlighten the elect and enough obscurity to humiliate them. There is enough obscurity to blind the reprobate and enough light to condemn them and deprive them of excuse.

Everything which does not lead to charity is figurative. The sole object of Scripture is charity. Everything that does not lead to this sole good is figurative. For, since there is only one goal, everything that does not lead to it explicitly is figurative.

[167] Submission and use of reason; that is what makes true Christianity.

Qui aurait trouvé le secret de se réjouir du bien sans se fâcher du mal contraire aurait trouvé le point.

If our condition were truly happy, we would not seek diversion from it in order to make ourselves happy.