--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, if the height of the mercury…" description: "\"You see, if the height of the mercury [barometer] column is less on the top of a mountain than at the foot of it (as I have many reasons for believing,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/blaise-pascal-167_abhorrence_you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-bar_797719.jpg" --- # You see, if the height of the mercury \[barometer\] column… ![“You see, if the height of the mercury [barometer] column is less on the top of a mountain than at the foot of it (as I have many reasons for believing, although everyone who has so far written about it is of the contrary opinion), it follows that the weight of the air must be the sole cause of the…” quote by Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/blaise-pascal-167_abhorrence_you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-bar_797719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/blaise-pascal-167_abhorrence_you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-bar_797719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/blaise-pascal-167_abhorrence_you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-bar_797719.jpg) > “You see, if the height of the mercury \[barometer\] column is less on the top of a mountain than at the foot of it (as I have many reasons for believing, although everyone who has so far written about it is of the contrary opinion), it follows that the weight of the air must be the sole cause of the phenomenon, and not that abhorrence of a vacuum, since it is obvious that at the foot of the mountain there is more air to have weight than at the summit, and we cannot possibly say that the air at the foot of the mountain has a greater aversion to empty space than at the top.” [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. Barometric differences show air weight causes pressure changes, not vacuum aversion. **In simple terms:** Air weight explains pressure differences with altitude. Key Takeaway Consider physical causes before assuming emptiness. Themes science physics observation causality Mood analytical curious Type scientific explanatory When to use this quote - meteorology - aviation - climatology - engineering Key Concepts atmospheric pressure barometry vacuum theory Questions to Reflect On - What experiments confirm air weight’s effect? - How does this principle apply to modern climate studies? A Different Perspective Simplified analogy may mislead without experimental data. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abhorrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abhorrence/) [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Aversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aversion/) [Barometer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barometer/) [Barometer Column](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barometer-column-6114516/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Cause Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-phenomenon-4663417/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Columns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/columns/) [Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary/) [Empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty/) [Empty space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty-space/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Height](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/height/) [Height Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/height-mercury-6114517/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercury/) [Mercury Barometer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercury-barometer-895560/) [Mountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mountain/) [Mountain Foot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mountain-foot-6114518/) [Obvious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obvious/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Sole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sole/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Summit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summit/) [Vacuums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vacuums/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [Proof that a given condition always precedes or accompanies a phenomenon does not warrant concluding with certainty that a given condition is the immediate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/proof-that-a-given-condition-always-precedes-or-accompanies-a/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Sudden resolutions, like the sudden rise of mercury in a barometer, indicate little else than the variability of the weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/sudden-resolutions-like-the-sudden-rise-of-mercury-in-a-barometer/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [“The amount of abhorrence that departs, that much of ‘Pure Love’ arises. When abhorrence goes away completely, then Pure Love arises in totality. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-amount-of-abhorrence-that-departs-that-much-of-pure-love-arises/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [In proportion to the love existing among men, so will be the community of property and power. Among true and real friends, all is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/in-proportion-to-the-love-existing-among-men-so-will-be-the-community/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [ By 1782 \[John Adams\] had come to feel for \[Benjamin\] Franklin "no other sentiments than Contempt or Abhorrence." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/by-1782-john-adams-had-come-to-feel-for-benjamin-franklin-no-other/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) > [Satan is ever seeking to inject that poison into our hearts to distrust God's goodness, especially in connection with his commandments. That is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/satan-is-ever-seeking-to-inject-that-poison-into-our-hearts-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Prejudice validates itself as righteous abhorrence of the criminally deviant. So Christian homophobia is just a metonym of that abjection in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-duncan/prejudice-validates-itself-as-righteous-abhorrence-of-the-criminally/) [Hal Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-duncan/) > [One thing I do find in the "lost" generation or something is a kind of abhorrence of history, you know, like it's boring, dumb,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/one-thing-i-do-find-in-the-lost-generation-or-something-is-a-kind-of/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [“Despite knowing and seeing through the senses, if one remains free from attachment-abhorrence, it is called knowledge beyond the senses (atindriya-gnan). But if one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/despite-knowing-and-seeing-through-the-senses-if-one-remains-free/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Few things loves better Than to abhor himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/few-things-loves-better-than-to-abhor-himself/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An unholy church! It is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hells laughter, heavens abhorrence. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/an-unholy-church-it-is-useless-to-the-world-and-of-no-esteem-among/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“It is the reformer who is anxious for the reform, and not society, from which he should expect nothing better than opposition, abhorrence, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-is-the-reformer-who-is-anxious-for-the-reform-and-not-society-from/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“For I had loved Seid even in his darkest hours, even as he cursed me and we rode upon a fine line between ardor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-silverwood/for-i-had-loved-seid-even-in-his-darkest-hours-even-as-he-cursed-me/) [Jennifer Silverwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-silverwood/) > [An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of sin, was never invented by any of Adam's descendents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/an-ineffably-holy-god-who-has-the-utmost-abhorrence-of-sin-was-never/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“Continue with whatever it is that you have been doing, except for attachment-abhorrence. If ‘we’ stay in our state of Pure Soul, attachment-abhorrence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/continue-with-whatever-it-is-that-you-have-been-doing-except-for/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) ## 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 Abhorrence quotes > [“Continue with whatever it is that you have been doing, except for attachment-abhorrence. If ‘we’ stay in our state of Pure Soul, attachment-abhorrence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/continue-with-whatever-it-is-that-you-have-been-doing-except-for/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of sin, was never invented by any of Adam's descendents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/an-ineffably-holy-god-who-has-the-utmost-abhorrence-of-sin-was-never/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“For I had loved Seid even in his darkest hours, even as he cursed me and we rode upon a fine line between ardor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-silverwood/for-i-had-loved-seid-even-in-his-darkest-hours-even-as-he-cursed-me/) [Jennifer Silverwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-silverwood/) > [“It is the reformer who is anxious for the reform, and not society, from which he should expect nothing better than opposition, abhorrence, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-is-the-reformer-who-is-anxious-for-the-reform-and-not-society-from/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [An unholy church! It is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hells laughter, heavens abhorrence. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/an-unholy-church-it-is-useless-to-the-world-and-of-no-esteem-among/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Few things loves better Than to abhor himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/few-things-loves-better-than-to-abhor-himself/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Despite knowing and seeing through the senses, if one remains free from attachment-abhorrence, it is called knowledge beyond the senses (atindriya-gnan). But if one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/despite-knowing-and-seeing-through-the-senses-if-one-remains-free/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [One thing I do find in the "lost" generation or something is a kind of abhorrence of history, you know, like it's boring, dumb,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/one-thing-i-do-find-in-the-lost-generation-or-something-is-a-kind-of/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [Prejudice validates itself as righteous abhorrence of the criminally deviant. So Christian homophobia is just a metonym of that abjection in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-duncan/prejudice-validates-itself-as-righteous-abhorrence-of-the-criminally/) [Hal Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-duncan/) > [Satan is ever seeking to inject that poison into our hearts to distrust God's goodness, especially in connection with his commandments. That is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/satan-is-ever-seeking-to-inject-that-poison-into-our-hearts-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ By 1782 \[John Adams\] had come to feel for \[Benjamin\] Franklin "no other sentiments than Contempt or Abhorrence." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/by-1782-john-adams-had-come-to-feel-for-benjamin-franklin-no-other/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) > [In proportion to the love existing among men, so will be the community of property and power. Among true and real friends, all is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/in-proportion-to-the-love-existing-among-men-so-will-be-the-community/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [“The amount of abhorrence that departs, that much of ‘Pure Love’ arises. When abhorrence goes away completely, then Pure Love arises in totality. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-amount-of-abhorrence-that-departs-that-much-of-pure-love-arises/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [The greatest talents have been frequently misapplied and have produced evil proportionate to the extent of their powers. Both reason and revelation seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/the-greatest-talents-have-been-frequently-misapplied-and-have/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [The question is this - Is man an ape or an angel? My Lord, I am on the side of the angels. I repudiate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-question-is-this-is-man-an-ape-or-an-angel-my-lord-i-am-on-the/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) [Browse all 69 Abhorrence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abhorrence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You see, if the height of the mercury [barometer] column is less on the top of a mountain than at the foot of it (as I have many reasons for believing, although everyone who has so far written about it is of the contrary opinion), it follows that the weight of the air must be the sole cause of the phenomenon, and not that abhorrence of a vacuum, since it is obvious that at the foot of the mountain there is more air to have weight than at the summit, and we cannot possibly say that the air at the foot of the mountain has a greater aversion to empty space than at the top.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Blaise Pascal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-barometer-column-is-less-on-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abhorrence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-barometer-column-is-less-on-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/blaise-pascal-167_abhorrence_you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-bar_797719.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/blaise-pascal-167_abhorrence_you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-bar_797719.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/blaise-pascal-167_abhorrence_you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-bar_797719.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You see, if the height of the mercury [barometer] column is less on the top of a mountain than at the foot…” — 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": "You see, if the height of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-barometer-column-is-less-on-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/you-see-if-the-height-of-the-mercury-barometer-column-is-less-on-the/#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 } } ] } ```