--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ecclesiastes shows that man without God…" description: "\"“Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is in total ignorance and inevitable misery.”\" — Blaise Pascal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/blaise-pascal-167_ignorance_ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god_1355625.jpg" --- # Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is in total… ![“Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is in total ignorance and inevitable misery.” quote by Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/blaise-pascal-167_ignorance_ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god_1355625.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/blaise-pascal-167_ignorance_ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god_1355625.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/blaise-pascal-167_ignorance_ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god_1355625.jpg) > ““Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is in total ignorance and inevitable misery.”” [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 life lacking belief in God leads to profound misunderstanding and unavoidable suffering. **In simple terms:** Without God, life is confused and painful. Key Takeaway Seek spiritual understanding. Themes faith existence human condition Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - personal crisis - ethical decision making - counseling - philosophical debate Key Concepts theology existentialism epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What does belief bring to your life? - Can meaning exist without religion? A Different Perspective Not all agree that God is necessary for meaning; secular perspectives exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ecclesiastes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecclesiastes/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Without god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-god/) ## Related quotes > [What a refreshing mind you have, young man. There really is nothing quite like total ignorance, is there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-a-refreshing-mind-you-have-young-man-there-really-is-nothing/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I plead total ignorance to Led Zeppelin. I am totally in the dark about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-o/i-plead-total-ignorance-to-led-zeppelin-i-am-totally-in-the-dark/) [Karen O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-o/) > [ Concerning no subject would \[George Bernard\] Shaw be deterred by the minor accident of total ignorance from penning a definitive opinion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/concerning-no-subject-would-george-bernard-shaw-be-deterred-by-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The failure of the U.S.'s foreign adventures often seems to have its roots in the U.S.'s total ignorance of things on the ground, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/the-failure-of-the-u-s-s-foreign-adventures-often-seems-to-have-its/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [I used to think I knew everything, but older you get the more you see other areas. If you could read everything about both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-used-to-think-i-knew-everything-but-older-you-get-the-more-you-see/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [“They were in a position of total ignorance and people in that position often died without being enlightened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/they-were-in-a-position-of-total-ignorance-and-people-in-that/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [True, a little learning is a dangerous thing, but it still beats total ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-a-little-learning-is-a-dangerous-thing-but-it-still-beats-total/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I would call purity a total ignorance of the torments of the flesh or the triumph of the will over them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-vieux-chauvet/i-would-call-purity-a-total-ignorance-of-the-torments-of-the-flesh-or/) Marie Vieux-Chauvet > [There is nothing that we can see on earth which does not either show the wretchedness of man or the mercy of God. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-see-on-earth-which-does-not-either-show/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-gaines/i-know-that-there-is-nothing-better-for-people-than-to-be-happy-and/) [Chip Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-gaines/) > [There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/there-is-a-time-to-weep-and-a-time-to-laugh-a-time-to-mourn-and-a/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [A good name is better than precious ointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/a-good-name-is-better-than-precious-ointment/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [“A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-time-to-be-born-and-a-time-to-die-a-time-to-plant-and-a-time-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The point which we consider it our duty to note is, that outside of and beyond his faith, as it were, the Bishop possessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-point-which-we-consider-it-our-duty-to-note-is-that-outside-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3: 11a”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-rae-jordan/he-has-made-everything-beautiful-in-its-time-ecclesiastes-3-11a/) [Kimberly Rae Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-rae-jordan/) ## 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. '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 Ecclesiastes quotes > [“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3: 11a”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-rae-jordan/he-has-made-everything-beautiful-in-its-time-ecclesiastes-3-11a/) [Kimberly Rae Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-rae-jordan/) > [“The point which we consider it our duty to note is, that outside of and beyond his faith, as it were, the Bishop possessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-point-which-we-consider-it-our-duty-to-note-is-that-outside-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-time-to-be-born-and-a-time-to-die-a-time-to-plant-and-a-time-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [A good name is better than precious ointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/a-good-name-is-better-than-precious-ointment/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/there-is-a-time-to-weep-and-a-time-to-laugh-a-time-to-mourn-and-a/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-gaines/i-know-that-there-is-nothing-better-for-people-than-to-be-happy-and/) [Chip Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-gaines/) > [All things come alike to all; there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/all-things-come-alike-to-all-there-is-one-event-to-the-righteous-and/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [As Ecclesiastes tells it, a wholesale devotion to pleasure will, paradoxically, lead to a state of utter despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/as-ecclesiastes-tells-it-a-wholesale-devotion-to-pleasure-will/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other. —Ecclesiastes 8:9      ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-seraphs/i-have-thought-deeply-about-all-that-goes-on-here-under-the-sun-where/) Marc Seraphs > [“Oh, you who are! "Ecclesiastes calls you the All-powerful; the Maccabees call you the Creator; the Epistle to the Ephesians calls you liberty; Baruch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/oh-you-who-are-ecclesiastes-calls-you-the-all-powerful-the-maccabees/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Live in such a way that even if given another opportunity to live your life all over again, you would still choose to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-girao/live-in-such-a-way-that-even-if-given-another-opportunity-to-live/) William B. Girao > [No Ideas original - there is nothing new under the sun...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/no-ideas-original-there-is-nothing-new-under-the-sun/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“I believe in the power of origins, a belief that, as Ecclesiastes put it, 'that wich is done is that wich shall be done:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-tosches/i-believe-in-the-power-of-origins-a-belief-that-as-ecclesiastes-put/) [Nick Tosches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-tosches/) > [“The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-solomon-son-of-david/the-words-of-the-wise-are-like-goads-and-like-nails-firmly-fixed-are/) [King Solomon Son of David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-solomon-son-of-david/) > [“Of all I have ever seen or learned, that book seems to me the noblest, the wisest, and the most powerful expression of man's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/of-all-i-have-ever-seen-or-learned-that-book-seems-to-me-the-noblest/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) [Browse all 67 Ecclesiastes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecclesiastes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is in total ignorance and inevitable misery.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Blaise Pascal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god-is-in-total-ignorance-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ecclesiastes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god-is-in-total-ignorance-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/blaise-pascal-167_ignorance_ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god_1355625.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/blaise-pascal-167_ignorance_ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god_1355625.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/blaise-pascal-167_ignorance_ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god_1355625.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ecclesiastes shows that man without God is in total ignorance and inevitable misery.” — Blaise Pascal", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Blaise Pascal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Ecclesiastes shows that man without God...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god-is-in-total-ignorance-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/ecclesiastes-shows-that-man-without-god-is-in-total-ignorance-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```