--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All the dignity of man consists in…" description: "\"All the dignity of man consists in thought. Thought is therefore by its nature a wonderful and incomparable thing. It must have strange defects to be c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/blaise-pascal-167_defects_all-the-dignity-of-man-consists-in-thoug_2826272.jpg" --- # All the dignity of man consists in thought. Thought is… ![“All the dignity of man consists in thought. Thought is therefore by its nature a wonderful and incomparable thing. It must have strange defects to be contemptible. But it has such, so that nothing is more ridiculous. How great it is in its nature! How vile it is in its defects! But what is this…” quote by Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/blaise-pascal-167_defects_all-the-dignity-of-man-consists-in-thoug_2826272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/blaise-pascal-167_defects_all-the-dignity-of-man-consists-in-thoug_2826272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/blaise-pascal-167_defects_all-the-dignity-of-man-consists-in-thoug_2826272.jpg) > “All the dignity of man consists in thought. Thought is therefore by its nature a wonderful and incomparable thing. It must have strange defects to be contemptible. But it has such, so that nothing is more ridiculous. How great it is in its nature! How vile it is in its defects! But what is this thought? How foolish it is!” [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human dignity lies in thought, which is both magnificent and flawed; its imperfections make it both noble and ridiculous. **In simple terms:** Thought gives dignity but can be flawed. Key Takeaway Value thought while recognizing its limits. Themes philosophy human nature thought Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - debate - creative writing - problem solving Key Concepts cognition imperfection Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance thought and action? - When does thought become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Thought can also lead to overanalysis and paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consists Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consists-thought-3626416/) [Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) [Defects Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects-thought-3626415/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Incomparable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incomparable/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Ridiculous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridiculous/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Thought Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-nature-1860508/) [Thought Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-thought/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [“Yes," she thought, "nature is the refuge and home for women: they have no public career—no aim nor end beyond their domestic circle; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/yes-she-thought-nature-is-the-refuge-and-home-for-women-they-have-no/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [It used to be that artists thought of nature as their environment. 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We, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/we-are-such-small-stupid-things-for-most-of-my-life-i-thought-of/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [All who say the same things do not possess them in the same manner; and hence the incomparable author of the Art of Conversation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-who-say-the-same-things-do-not-possess-them-in-the-same-manner/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“All this, grassy paddock, cows, trees - he had thought it was Nature. 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I thought she was beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/she-thought-no-one-could-see-her-i-thought-she-was-beautiful/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [Is action merely the incidental product of thought, or is thought the consequential product of action?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/is-action-merely-the-incidental-product-of-thought-or-is-thought-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) ## More by Blaise Pascal > [“Do they think that they have given us great pleasure by telling us that they hold our soul to be no more than wind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/do-they-think-that-they-have-given-us-great-pleasure-by-telling-us/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [There should be in eloquence that which is pleasing and that which is real; but that which is pleasing should itself be real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/there-should-be-in-eloquence-that-which-is-pleasing-and-that-which-is/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [The method of not erring is sought by all the world. 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Others say, "Go out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-stoics-say-retire-within-yourselves-it-is-there-you-will-find/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Happiness can be found neither in ourselves nor in external things, but in God and in ourselves as united to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/happiness-can-be-found-neither-in-ourselves-nor-in-external-things/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Amusement that is excessive and followed only for its own sake, allures and deceives us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/amusement-that-is-excessive-and-followed-only-for-its-own-sake/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Rivers are highways that move on and bear us whither we wish to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/rivers-are-highways-that-move-on-and-bear-us-whither-we-wish-to-go/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [We desire truth, and find within ourselves only uncertainty. We seek happiness, and find only misery and death. We cannot but desire truth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/we-desire-truth-and-find-within-ourselves-only-uncertainty-we-seek/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Vanity is illustrated in the cause and effect of love, as in the case of Cleopatra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/vanity-is-illustrated-in-the-cause-and-effect-of-love-as-in-the-case/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“There is no denying it; one must admit that there is something astonishing about Christianity. 'It is because you were born in it,' they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/there-is-no-denying-it-one-must-admit-that-there-is-something/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Imagination is the deceptive part in man, the mistress of error and falsehood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/imagination-is-the-deceptive-part-in-man-the-mistress-of-error-and/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [The majority is the best way, because it is visible, and has strength to make itself obeyed. Yet it is the opinion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-majority-is-the-best-way-because-it-is-visible-and-has-strength/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) [Explore all 988 Blaise Pascal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) ## More Defects quotes > [It is the common defect of modern art study. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmonia-lewis/i-don-t-want-you-to-praise-me-some-praise-me-because-i-am-a-colored/) [Edmonia Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmonia-lewis/) > [The sense of tragedy - according to Aristotle - comes, ironically enough, not from the protagonist's weak points but from his good qualities. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sense-of-tragedy-according-to-aristotle-comes-ironically-enough/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Political correctness is a major defect of the western ethos. Some Western countries have even passed blasphemy laws that would put you in legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/political-correctness-is-a-major-defect-of-the-western-ethos-some/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [Absence of defects does not necessarily build business... 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