The greatness of man is so evident that it is even proved by his wretchedness. For what in animals is nature, we call in man wretchedness--by which we recognize that, his nature being now like that of animals, he has fallen from a better nature which once was his.

Blaise Pascal

Categorized in : Men Animal Greatness

If I believe in God and life after death and you do not, and if there is no God, we both lose when we die. However, if there is a God, you still lose and I gain everything.

Blaise Pascal

god-and-life if-there-is-a-god believe

Either Christianity is true or it's false. If you bet that it's true, and you believe in God and submit to Him, then if it IS true, you've gained God, heaven, and everything else. If it's false, you've lost nothing, but you've had a good life marked by peace and the illusion that ultimately, everything makes sense. If you bet that Christianity is not true, and it's false, you've lost nothing. But if you bet that it's false, and it turns out to be true, you've lost everything and you get to spend eternity in hell.

Blaise Pascal

good-life heaven believe

Don't try to add more years to your life. Better add more life to your years.

Blaise Pascal

suicide death years

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.

Blaise Pascal

three unhappy people

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

Blaise Pascal

truth-is love religion

There is a God-shaped vacuum in every heart.

Blaise Pascal

vacuums spiritual heart

Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.

Blaise Pascal

pride knowing jesus

Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love still stands when all else has fallen.

Blaise Pascal

fading endurance limits

We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything.

Blaise Pascal

addiction limits wisdom

People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.

Blaise Pascal

attractive belief people

Lord, help me to do great things as though they were little, since I do them with your power; And little things as though they were great, since I do them in your name!

Blaise Pascal

names helping littles

Once your soul has been enlarged by a truth, it can never return to its original size.

Blaise Pascal

investing soul truth

Muhammad established a religion by putting his enemies to death; Jesus Christ by commanding his followers to lay down their lives.

Blaise Pascal

islam enemy jesus

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.

Blaise Pascal

inspirational love life

I rather live as if God exists to find out that He doesn't than live as if he doesn't exist to find out He does.

Blaise Pascal

god-exists ifs doe

We are not satisfied with real life; we want to live some imaginary life in the eyes of other people and to seem different from what we actually are.

Blaise Pascal

eye real people

Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.

Blaise Pascal

accomplish-nothing kindness character

Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.

Blaise Pascal

gains faith wise

All the trouble in the world is due to the fact that man cannot sit still in a room.

Blaise Pascal

men rooms world

Do you wish people to think well of you? Don't speak well of yourself.

Blaise Pascal

humility humble thinking