Blaise Pascal

[Unbelievers] think they have made great efforts to get at the truth when they have spent a few hours in reading some book out of Holy Scripture, and have questioned some cleric about the truths of the faith. After that, they boast that they have searched in books and among men in vain.

The sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.

The multitude which does not reduce itself to unity is confusion.

Those who write against vanity want the glory of having written well, and their readers the glory of reading well, and I who write this have the same desire, as perhaps those who read this have also.

We are so presumptuous that we should like to be known all over the world, even by people who will only come when we are no more. Such is our vanity that the good opinion of half a dozen of the people around us gives us pleasure and satisfaction.

I cannot judge my work while I am doing it. I have to do as painters do, stand back and view it from a distance, but not too great a distance. How great? Guess.

The power of man's virtue should not be measured by his special efforts, but by his ordinary doings.

It is your own assent to yourself, and the constant voice of your own reason, and not of others, that should make you believe.

All this visible world is but an imperceptible point in the ample bosom of nature.

Anything that is written to please the author is worthless.