Curiosity Quote by Blaise Pascal
““For the chief malady of man is restless curiosity about things which he cannot understand; and it is not so bad for him to be in error as to be curious to no purpose.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Pensées by Blaise Pascal, 1670
Human beings suffer from an endless desire to grasp the unknowable, leading to pointless error.
In simple terms: Restless curiosity causes unnecessary confusion.
Key Takeaway
Accept limits of understanding.
Themes
curiosity
human nature
error
knowledge
purpose
Mood
contemplative
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic study
- personal reflection
- spiritual contemplation
Key Concepts
philosophy
epistemology
human condition
Questions to Reflect On
- What boundaries of knowledge do you accept?
- How can curiosity be channeled productively?
A Different Perspective
Curiosity can drive discovery when directed purposefully.
![“[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)
![“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)
