--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are so presumptuous that we wish to be…" description: "\"We are so presumptuous that we wish to be known to all the world, even to those who come after us; and we are so vain that the esteem of five or six pe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/blaise-pascal-167_enough_we-are-so-presumptuous-that-we-wish-to-b_1950599.jpg" --- # We are so presumptuous that we wish to be known to all the… ![“We are so presumptuous that we wish to be known to all the world, even to those who come after us; and we are so vain that the esteem of five or six persons immediately around us is enough to amuse and satisfy us.” quote by Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/blaise-pascal-167_enough_we-are-so-presumptuous-that-we-wish-to-b_1950599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/blaise-pascal-167_enough_we-are-so-presumptuous-that-we-wish-to-b_1950599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b08/blaise-pascal-167_enough_we-are-so-presumptuous-that-we-wish-to-b_1950599.jpg) > “We are so presumptuous that we wish to be known to all the world, even to those who come after us; and we are so vain that the esteem of five or six persons immediately around us is enough to amuse and satisfy us.” [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 desire for fame and approval leads to vanity; we seek both universal recognition and small‑scale admiration. **In simple terms:** People crave fame and local approval. Key Takeaway Balance ambition with humility. Themes vanity recognition humility Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - career ambition - social media use - artistic creation - legacy planning Key Concepts existentialism social psychology Questions to Reflect On - What drives your need for recognition? - How can you find satisfaction without external validation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on fame can cause anxiety and disappointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“. . . it is presumptuous in me to wish to choose my path, because I cannot tell which path is best for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/it-is-presumptuous-in-me-to-wish-to-choose-my-path-because-i-cannot/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [And indeed nothing but the most determined scepticism, along with a great degree of indolence, can justify this aversion to metaphysics. For if truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/and-indeed-nothing-but-the-most-determined-scepticism-along-with-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Be thankful that you have a life, and forsake your vain and presumptuous desire for a second one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/be-thankful-that-you-have-a-life-and-forsake-your-vain-and/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We are so presumptuous that we should like to be known all over the world, even by people who will only come when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/we-are-so-presumptuous-that-we-should-like-to-be-known-all-over-the/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [How vain is painting, which is admired for reproducing the likeness of things whose originals are not admired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/how-vain-is-painting-which-is-admired-for-reproducing-the-likeness-of/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [How can anyone lose who chooses to become a Christian? 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