Desire Quote by Blaise Pascal
““All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves. And yet after such a great number of years, no one without faith has reached the point to which all continually look. All complain, princes and subjects, noblemen and commoners, old and young, strong and weak, learned and ignorant, healthy and sick, of all countries, all time, all ages, and all conditions. A trial so long, so continuous, and so uniform should certainly convince us of our inability to reach the good by our own efforts… What is it then that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remains to him only; the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable Object, that is to say, only by God Himself.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Pensées by Blaise Pascal, 1670
Human beings universally pursue happiness, yet their efforts are insufficient; true fulfillment lies beyond worldly means, ultimately in the divine.
In simple terms: People chase happiness but can’t find it in material things; only God can fulfill it.
Seek deeper purpose beyond material pursuits.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal fulfillment
- philosophical counseling
- spiritual practice
- mental health
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does true happiness mean to you?
- How can you recognize the limits of worldly solutions?
Material pursuits cannot satisfy the deepest longing for meaning.