Quote by Blaise Pascal

Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature; but he is a thinking reed. There is no need for the whole universe to take up arms to crush him: a vapor, a drop of water is enough to kill him. But even if the universe were to crush him, man would still be nobler than his slayer, because he knows that he is dying and the advantage the universe has over him. The universe knows nothing of this.

Man is only a reed, the weakest in nature; but he is a think

Summary

This quote, often attributed to French philosopher Blaise Pascal, highlights the vulnerability and fragility of human beings compared to the vastness of the universe. While man may be weak and easily destructible, what sets him apart is his ability to think and reason. Even though the universe, represented by elements like vapor or water, can cause his demise, man's awareness of his mortality makes him superior. The universe, lacking consciousness, is oblivious to the advantage it holds. In essence, man's existential awareness grants him a greater sense of nobility despite his vulnerability in the face of immense cosmic forces.

Topics

Thought

By Blaise Pascal

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

When we are not honest, we are cut off from a significant re

When we are not honest, we are cut off from a significant resource of ourselves, a vital dimension that is necessary for unity and wholeness.

Clark Moustakas

Honesty

They were governed by private loyalties which they did not q

They were governed by private loyalties which they did not question. What mattered were individual relationships, and a completely helpless gesture, an embrace, a tear, a word spoken to a dying man, could have value in itself

Humanity Love Loyalty Freedom Of Thought

I quote others only in order to better express myself.

I quote others only in order to better express myself.

Michel de Montaigne

Quotes

The only relevant test of the validity of a hypothesis is co

The only relevant test of the validity of a hypothesis is comparison of prediction with experience.

Milton Friedman

Experience

It's hard for women who make a lot of money and make decisio

It's hard for women who make a lot of money and make decisions all day long, then they have to come home and be 'Stupid Sally.' Men need respect, and they need to know that they can lead in the relationship, so even if they don't make the most money they need to be able to call the shots.

Home

Few men during their lifetime comes anywhere near exhausting

Few men during their lifetime comes anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.

Richard E. Byrd

Strength

Absence -- that common cure of love.

Absence -- that common cure of love.

Miguel de Cervantes

I've got my dad's height and smoking habit. But I think I've

I've got my dad's height and smoking habit. But I think I've got my mum's looks and sensibilities.

Dad

So that is marriage, Lily thought, a man and a woman looking

So that is marriage, Lily thought, a man and a woman looking at a girl throwing a ball

Marriage

Deep down, the US, with its space, its technological refinem

Deep down, the US, with its space, its technological refinement, its bluff good conscience, even in those spaces which it opens up for simulation, is the only remaining primitive society.

Jean Baudrillard

Society

The training of children is a profession, where we must know

The training of children is a profession, where we must know how to waste time in order to save it

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Children

We believe the use of force against Iraq, especially with re

We believe the use of force against Iraq, especially with reference to previous resolutions of the UN Security Council, has no grounds, including legal grounds.

Legal