Quotes from Blaise Pascal

The supreme function of reason is to show man that some things are beyond reason.

Man's greatness lies in his power of thought.

Eloquence is a painting of the thoughts.

I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter.

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

Our soul is cast into a body, where it finds number, time, dimension. Thereupon it reasons, and calls this nature necessity, and can believe nothing else.

Words differently arranged have a different meaning, and meanings differently arranged have different effects.

The last act is bloody, however pleasant all the rest of the play is: a little earth is thrown at last upon our head, and that is the end forever.

Justice is what is established; and thus all our established laws will necessarily be regarded as just without examination, since they are established.

La vraie e loquence se moque de l'e loquence, la vraie morale se moque de la morale. True eloquence has notime foreloquence, true morality has no time for morality.

The last proceeding of reason is to recognize that there is an infinity of things which are beyond it. There is nothing so conformable to reason as this disavowal of reason.

The self is hateful.

Vanity of science. Knowledge of physical science will not console me for ignorance of morality in time of affliction, but knowledge of morality will always console me for ignorance of physical science.

It is good to be tired and wearied by the futile search after the true good, that we may stretch out our arms to the Redeemer.

We do not worry about being respected in towns through which we pass. But if we are going to remain in one for a certain time, we do worry. How long does this time have to be?

...for the truth is always older than all the opinions men have held regarding it; and one should be ignoring the nature of truth if we imagined that the truth began at the time it came to be known.

Now, if the passions had no hold on us, a week and a hundred years would amount to the same.

Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves.

Human beings must be known to be loved; but Divine beings must be loved to be known.

Unless we love the truth we cannot know it.

When one does not love too much, one does not love enough.

Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.

We never love a person, but only qualities.

If you do not love too much, you do not love enough.