--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone who does not see the vanity of the…" description: "\"Anyone who does not see the vanity of the world is very vain himself. So who does not see it, apart from young people whose lives are all noise, divers..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/blaise-pascal-167_bored_anyone-who-does-not-see-the-vanity-of-th_3213890.jpg" --- # Anyone who does not see the vanity of the world is very… ![“Anyone who does not see the vanity of the world is very vain himself. So who does not see it, apart from young people whose lives are all noise, diversions, and thoughts for the future? But take away their diversion and you will see them bored to extinction. Then they feel their nullity without…” quote by Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/blaise-pascal-167_bored_anyone-who-does-not-see-the-vanity-of-th_3213890.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/blaise-pascal-167_bored_anyone-who-does-not-see-the-vanity-of-th_3213890.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/362/blaise-pascal-167_bored_anyone-who-does-not-see-the-vanity-of-th_3213890.jpg) > “Anyone who does not see the vanity of the world is very vain himself. So who does not see it, apart from young people whose lives are all noise, diversions, and thoughts for the future? But take away their diversion and you will see them bored to extinction. Then they feel their nullity without recognizing it, for nothing could be more wretched than to be intolerably depressed as soon as one is reduced to introspection with no means of diversion.” [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. The quote warns that without distraction, people confront the emptiness of existence, leading to profound boredom and depression. **In simple terms:** Without distractions, life feels empty and depressing. Key Takeaway Seek meaningful engagement beyond idle diversion. Themes existentialism vanity human nature introspection depression Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical critical existential When to use this quote - youthful distraction - career stagnation - mental health crises - philosophical contemplation Key Concepts nihilism meaninglessness psychology Questions to Reflect On - What distractions truly enrich your life? - How can you find purpose without external amusements? A Different Perspective Even with distractions, one may still face inner voids. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bored/) [Diversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversion/) [Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction/) [Introspection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introspection/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [If man were happy, he would be the more so, the less he was diverted, like the saints and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/if-man-were-happy-he-would-be-the-more-so-the-less-he-was-diverted/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [The only thing which consoles for our miseries is diversion, and yet this is the greatest of our miseries. For it is this which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-only-thing-which-consoles-for-our-miseries-is-diversion-and-yet/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Nothing is so insufferable to man as to be completely at rest, without passions, without business, without diversion, without study. He then feels his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/nothing-is-so-insufferable-to-man-as-to-be-completely-at-rest-without/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [If our condition were truly happy, we would not seek diversion from it in order to make ourselves happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/if-our-condition-were-truly-happy-we-would-not-seek-diversion-from-it/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Man finds nothing so intolerable as to be in a state of complete rest, without passions, without occupation, without diversion, without effort. Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/man-finds-nothing-so-intolerable-as-to-be-in-a-state-of-complete-rest/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [ Without \[diversion\] we would be in a state of weariness, and this weariness would spur us on to seek a more solid means of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/without-diversion-we-would-be-in-a-state-of-weariness-and-this/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“The only good thing for men therefore is to be diverted from thinking of what they are, either by some occupation which takes their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-only-good-thing-for-men-therefore-is-to-be-diverted-from-thinking/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [If our condition were truly happy, we would not need diversion from thinking of it in order to make ourselves happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/if-our-condition-were-truly-happy-we-would-not-need-diversion-from/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“The only thing that consoles us for our miseries is diversion. And yet it is the greatest of our miseries. For it is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-only-thing-that-consoles-us-for-our-miseries-is-diversion-and-yet/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [A really hard laugh is like sex-one of the ultimate diversions of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/a-really-hard-laugh-is-like-sex-one-of-the-ultimate-diversions-of/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [And with iPods and iPads, and Xboxes and PlayStations - none of which I know how to work - information becomes a distraction, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/and-with-ipods-and-ipads-and-xboxes-and-playstations-none-of-which-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I believe certain members of the U.S. Congress have aided in the oppression and diversion of critical information that could have revealed a fullness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/i-believe-certain-members-of-the-u-s-congress-have-aided-in-the/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“Diversion consoles us - in trivial ways - in the face of our miseries or perplexities; yet, paradoxically, it becomes the worst of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-groothuis/diversion-consoles-us-in-trivial-ways-in-the-face-of-our-miseries-or/) [Douglas Groothuis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-groothuis/) > [People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/people-of-the-same-trade-seldom-meet-together-even-for-merriment-and/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) ## 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. The logicians profess to guide it, the geometricians alone attain it, and apart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-method-of-not-erring-is-sought-by-all-the-world-the-logicians/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [When we read too fast or too slowly, we understand nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/when-we-read-too-fast-or-too-slowly-we-understand-nothing/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Mahomet established a religion by putting his enemies to death; Jesus Christ by commanding his followers to lay down their lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/mahomet-established-a-religion-by-putting-his-enemies-to-death-jesus/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Reflect on death as in Jesus Christ, not as without Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ it is dreadful, it is alarming, it is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/reflect-on-death-as-in-jesus-christ-not-as-without-jesus-christ/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [The Stoics say, "Retire within yourselves; it is there you will find your rest." And that is not true. 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. 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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 Bored quotes > [Normal is so Boring!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/normal-is-so-boring/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [I am fairly tired--bored beyond endurance--by the world we live in, and its ideals, and am ready to say so, not violently, but kindly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/i-am-fairly-tired-bored-beyond-endurance-by-the-world-we-live-in-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Being blonde, for me, means never having to say: 'I'll have the honey-striped half-head of highlights for £200,' to a bored colourist in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-johnson/being-blonde-for-me-means-never-having-to-say-i-ll-have-the-honey/) [Rachel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-johnson/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. 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