Blaise Pascal Quotes
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Too much pleasure disagrees with us. Too many concords are annoying in music; too many benefits irritate us; we wish to have the wherewithal to overpay our debts.
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If man should commence by studying himself, he would see how impossible it is to go further.
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Jesus was in a garden, not of delight as the first Adam, in which he destroyed himself and the whole human race, but in one of agony, in which he saved himself and the whole human race.
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Reflect on death as in Jesus Christ, not as without Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ it is dreadful, it is alarming, it is the terror of nature. In Jesus Christ it is fair and lovely, it is good and holy, it is the joy of saints.
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One-half of the ills of life come because men are unwilling to sit down quietly for thirty minutes to think through all the possible consequences of their acts.
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In proportion as our own mind is enlarged we discover a greater number of men of originality. Commonplace people see no difference between one man and another.
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Evil is easily discovered; there is an infinite variety; good is almost unique. But some kinds of evil are almost as difficult to discover as that which we call good; and often particular evil of this class passes for good. It needs even a certain greatness of soul to attain to this, as to that which is good.
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How vain is painting, which is admired for reproducing the likeness of things whose originals are not admired.
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Equality of possessions is no doubt right, but, as men could not make might obey right, they have made right obey might.
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There is no arena in which vanity displays itself under such a variety of forms as in conversation.
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Il est non seulement impossible, mais inutile de conna|"tre Dieu sans Je sus-Christ. It is not only impossible, but also useless to recognize God without Jesus.
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The mind of the greatest man on earth is not so independent of circumstances as not to feel inconvenienced by the merest buzzing noise about him; it does not need the report of a cannon to disturb his thoughts. The creaking of a vane or a pully is quite enough. Do not wonder that he reasons ill just now; a fly is buzzing by his ear; it is quite enough to unfit him for giving good counsel.
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Do you wish people to speak well of you? Then do not speak at all yourself.
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If God exists, not seeking God must be the gravest error imaginable. If one decides to sincerely seek for God and doesn't find God, the lost effort is negligible in comparison to what is at risk in not seeking God in the first place.
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Amusement that is excessive and followed only for its own sake, allures and deceives us.
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It's not those who write the laws that have the greatest impact on society. It's those who write the songs.
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There are only three types of people; those who have found God and serve him; those who have not found God and seek him, and those who live not seeking, or finding him. The first are rational and happy; the second unhappy and rational, and the third foolish and unhappy.
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Faith is a sounder guide than reason. Reason can only go so far, but faith has no limits.
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It is an appalling thing to feel all one possesses drain away.
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Discourses on humility are a source of pride in the vain and of humility in the humble.
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When a soldier complains of his hard life (or a labourer, etc.) try giving him nothing to do.
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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.
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Montaigne is wrong in declaring that custom ought to be followed simply because it is custom, and not because it is reasonable or just.
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True eloquence makes light of eloquence. True morality makes light of morality.