Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.
Blaise PascalRead
Desire and force between them are responsible for all our actions; desire causes our voluntary acts, force our involuntary.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Desire motivates our conscious decisions, while force drives our unconscious reactions.
This quote by Blaise Pascal emphasizes the dual nature of human behavior, attributing our actions to two fundamental drivers: desire and force. Desire represents the choices we make willingly, driven by our wants and motivations, while force indicates actions we take involuntarily or under pressure, highlighting the complex interplay between our free will and external influences in shaping our behavior.
Themes
DesireForceActionsBehaviorWillMotivation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about motivation, one might quote Pascal to illustrate the balance between personal desires and external pressures.
More from Blaise Pascal
All quotes βIf we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous . . . There are two equally dangerous extremes: to exclude reason, to admit nothing but reason.
Blaise PascalRead
Those are weaklings who know the truth and uphold it as long as it suits their purpose, and then abandon it.
Blaise PascalRead
Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.
Blaise PascalRead
If he exalts himself, I humble him. If he humbles himself, I exalt him. And I go on contradicting him Until he understands That he is a monster that passes all understanding.
Blaise PascalRead
What use is it to us to hear it said of a man that he has thrown off the yoke that he does not believe there is a God to watch over his actions, that he reckons himself the sole master of his behavior, and that he does not intend to give an account of it to anyone but himself?
Blaise PascalRead
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