Through space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like an atom through thought I comprehend the world.

— Blaise Pascal

Thus, so wretched is man that he would weary even without any cause for weariness... and so frivolous is he that, though full of a thousand reasons for weariness, the least thing, such as playing billiards or hitting a ball, is sufficient to amuse him.

— Blaise Pascal

Time heals griefs and quarrels, for we change and are no longer the same persons. Neither the offender nor the offended are anymore themselves.

— Blaise Pascal

To make a man a saint, it must indeed be by grace; and whoever doubts this does not know what a saint is, or a man.

— Blaise Pascal

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

— Blaise Pascal

To ridicule philosophy is really to philosophize.

— Blaise Pascal

Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.

— Blaise Pascal

Two things control man's nature: instinct and experience.

— Blaise Pascal

Two things control men's nature, instinct and experience.

— Blaise Pascal

We do not content ourselves with the life we have in ourselves and in our own being; we desire to live an imaginary life in the mind of others, and for this purpose we endeavor to shine. We labor unceasingly to adorn and preserve this imaginary existence, and neglect the real. And if we possess calmness, or generosity, or truthfulness, we are eager to make it known, to attach these virtues to that imaginary existence. We would rather separate them from ourselves to join them to it; and we would willingly be cowards in order to acquire the reputation of being brave. A great proof of the nothingness of our being, not to be satisfied with the one without the other, and to renounce the one for the other! For he would be infamous who would not die to preserve his honor.

— Blaise Pascal