Curiosity Quote by Blaise Pascal
![“[77] Pride. Curiosity is only vanity. We usually only want to know something so that we can talk about it; in other words, we would never travel by sea if it meant never talking about it, and for the sheer pleasure of seeing things we could never hope to describe to others.” quote by Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/665/blaise-pascal-167_curiosity_77-pride-curiosity-is-only-vanity-we-usu_158938.jpg)
““[77] Pride. Curiosity is only vanity. We usually only want to know something so that we can talk about it; in other words, we would never travel by sea if it meant never talking about it, and for the sheer pleasure of seeing things we could never hope to describe to others.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Pensées, 1670
Pride drives curiosity, but often we seek knowledge only to discuss it, not to truly explore; we avoid journeys that lack conversational payoff.
In simple terms: Pride makes us seek knowledge for talk, not true discovery.
Key Takeaway
Seek knowledge for its own sake, not just to brag.
Themes
pride
curiosity
vanity
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic study
- travel
- research
- personal growth
Key Concepts
Philosophy
human nature
epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you learn more when you can share?
- How to you value knowledge without boasting?
A Different Perspective
May undervalue solitary exploration without social validation.
![“I follow and cultivate my own curiosity. I think curiosity is one of the top two or three human characteristics. It's something that I really like about myself. [...] I want to understand stuff! I want to understand people! Following my curiosity so frequently leads me to better life decisions and…” quote by Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/09d/hank-green-2600_ask-questions_i-follow-and-cultivate-my-own-curiosity_328862.jpg)
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
![“[T]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. [...] The point is, perhaps, that I am not looking for a verbal answer, just as when I ask for a kiss, I do not want a piece of paper with "A kiss" written on it. It is rather that metaphysical wonder looks…” quote by Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/705/alan-w-watts-9497_curiosity_t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no_3984.jpg)
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
