Nu m-ai fi cautat, daca nu m-ai fi gasit - Blaise Pascal

Vanity is so firmly anchored in man's heart that a soldier, a camp follower, a cook or a porter will boast and expect admirers, and even philosophers want them; those who write against them want to enjoy the prestige of having written well, those who read them want the prestige of having read them, and perhaps I who write this want the same thing.

Men seek rest in a struggle against difficulties; and when they have conquered these, rest becomes insufferable.

[92] Cause and effect. It is then true to say that everyone is the victim of illusion, because the ordinary person’s opinions are sound without being intellectually so, for he believes truth to be where it is not. There is certainly some truth in these opinions, but not as much as people imagine. It is true that we should honour the gentry but not because gentle birth is a real advantage.