--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not without empathetic terror when…" description: "\"We are not without empathetic terror when we open Pascal's 'Pensees' and read, 'I am the great silent spaces between worlds.'\" — Carl Sagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/carl-sagan-160_empathetic_we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-whe_1598593.jpg" --- # We are not without empathetic terror when we open Pascal's… ![“We are not without empathetic terror when we open Pascal's 'Pensees' and read, 'I am the great silent spaces between worlds.'” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/carl-sagan-160_empathetic_we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-whe_1598593.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/carl-sagan-160_empathetic_we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-whe_1598593.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/carl-sagan-160_empathetic_we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-whe_1598593.jpg) > “We are not without empathetic terror when we open Pascal's 'Pensees' and read, 'I am the great silent spaces between worlds.'” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading Pascal reveals a deep, unsettling terror that arises from confronting the vast, silent spaces between worlds, highlighting humanity's existential dread. **In simple terms:** Pascal's thoughts cause existential fear about the unknown. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and explore existential anxieties. Themes existential philosophy fear silence Mood thoughtful somber Type philosophical introspective When to use this quote - meditation - philosophical study - nighttime contemplation - artistic creation Key Concepts metaphysics human consciousness spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What silent spaces do you feel within? - How can you transform terror into curiosity? A Different Perspective Such terror can be paralyzing if not balanced with meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Empathetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathetic/) [Empathetic Terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathetic-terror-6075092/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Pascal Pensées](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pascal-pens-es-729571/) [Pensees Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pensees-read-6075093/) [Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent/) [Silent Spaces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-spaces-6075094/) [Spaces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spaces/) ## Related quotes > [“There are only two kinds of men: righteous men who believe themselves sinners; the rest, sinners, who believe themselves righteous. Pascal, Pensées”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/there-are-only-two-kinds-of-men-righteous-men-who-believe-themselves/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“...through our art to battle against fear, self-centeredness and exclusivity of our predominately narcissistic culture, and through our craft to cultivate a more empathetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/through-our-art-to-battle-against-fear-self-centeredness-and/) [David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/) > [You need to be empathetic in your own personal life and we help our neighbors and our friends out who are struggling in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/you-need-to-be-empathetic-in-your-own-personal-life-and-we-help-our/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It was about finding creative, original musicians. Musicians who are strong composers. Flexible, empathetic musicians, who are great individually but who also have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-redman/it-was-about-finding-creative-original-musicians-musicians-who-are/) [Joshua Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-redman/) > [I love everything. I love being the empathetic characters. I love being the villains. I think it's like when we're kids, we like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/i-love-everything-i-love-being-the-empathetic-characters-i-love-being/) [Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/) > [Make intercessory prayer a priority in your life and the life of your family. It will cause you to be more empathetic, less self-obsessed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/make-intercessory-prayer-a-priority-in-your-life-and-the-life-of-your/) [Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/) > [I got kids now... It gives you an empathetic feeling into other cultures and stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-got-kids-now-it-gives-you-an-empathetic-feeling-into-other-cultures/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Hillary Clinton's not seen as empathetic and compassionate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/hillary-clinton-s-not-seen-as-empathetic-and-compassionate/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [People didn't feel so much shame around it and that they didn't feel so much humiliation around it. And the other thing that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/people-didn-t-feel-so-much-shame-around-it-and-that-they-didn-t-feel/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [I am emotionally strong, passionate, empathetic, and sensitive towards others, especially the people I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishaan-khatter/i-am-emotionally-strong-passionate-empathetic-and-sensitive-towards/) [Ishaan Khatter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishaan-khatter/) > [When I was at school, one of my teachers had two statements hanging from the board all year: 'Be observant' and 'Be empathetic.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marne-levine/when-i-was-at-school-one-of-my-teachers-had-two-statements-hanging/) [Marne Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marne-levine/) > [To me, bringing mindfulness-bas ed practices to students, teachers and parents is some of the most important work we can be doing. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/to-me-bringing-mindfulness-bas-ed-practices-to-students-teachers-and/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/we-re-wired-to-be-empathetic-and-to-care-about-the-needs-of-others/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [To be empathetic to everyone around you, I think, is such a powerful thing to hold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/to-be-empathetic-to-everyone-around-you-i-think-is-such-a-powerful/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“The most prolific and accomplished hunters were not the most bloodthirsty and indefatigable. They were the most cool and empathetic. They were the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-dutton/the-most-prolific-and-accomplished-hunters-were-not-the-most/) [Kevin Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-dutton/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars or galaxies—humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/on-the-scale-of-worlds-to-say-nothing-of-stars-or-galaxies-humans-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Empathetic quotes > [“The most prolific and accomplished hunters were not the most bloodthirsty and indefatigable. They were the most cool and empathetic. They were the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-dutton/the-most-prolific-and-accomplished-hunters-were-not-the-most/) [Kevin Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-dutton/) > [To be empathetic to everyone around you, I think, is such a powerful thing to hold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/to-be-empathetic-to-everyone-around-you-i-think-is-such-a-powerful/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/we-re-wired-to-be-empathetic-and-to-care-about-the-needs-of-others/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [To me, bringing mindfulness-bas ed practices to students, teachers and parents is some of the most important work we can be doing. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/to-me-bringing-mindfulness-bas-ed-practices-to-students-teachers-and/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [When I was at school, one of my teachers had two statements hanging from the board all year: 'Be observant' and 'Be empathetic.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marne-levine/when-i-was-at-school-one-of-my-teachers-had-two-statements-hanging/) [Marne Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marne-levine/) > [I am emotionally strong, passionate, empathetic, and sensitive towards others, especially the people I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishaan-khatter/i-am-emotionally-strong-passionate-empathetic-and-sensitive-towards/) [Ishaan Khatter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishaan-khatter/) > [People didn't feel so much shame around it and that they didn't feel so much humiliation around it. And the other thing that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/people-didn-t-feel-so-much-shame-around-it-and-that-they-didn-t-feel/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [Hillary Clinton's not seen as empathetic and compassionate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/hillary-clinton-s-not-seen-as-empathetic-and-compassionate/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [I got kids now... It gives you an empathetic feeling into other cultures and stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-got-kids-now-it-gives-you-an-empathetic-feeling-into-other-cultures/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Make intercessory prayer a priority in your life and the life of your family. It will cause you to be more empathetic, less self-obsessed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/make-intercessory-prayer-a-priority-in-your-life-and-the-life-of-your/) [Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/) > [I love everything. I love being the empathetic characters. I love being the villains. I think it's like when we're kids, we like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/i-love-everything-i-love-being-the-empathetic-characters-i-love-being/) [Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/) > [It was about finding creative, original musicians. Musicians who are strong composers. Flexible, empathetic musicians, who are great individually but who also have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-redman/it-was-about-finding-creative-original-musicians-musicians-who-are/) [Joshua Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-redman/) > [You need to be empathetic in your own personal life and we help our neighbors and our friends out who are struggling in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/you-need-to-be-empathetic-in-your-own-personal-life-and-we-help-our/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“...through our art to battle against fear, self-centeredness and exclusivity of our predominately narcissistic culture, and through our craft to cultivate a more empathetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/through-our-art-to-battle-against-fear-self-centeredness-and/) [David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/) > [In your formative years what you see really shapes so much of who you're going to become and so many of the things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana-debose/in-your-formative-years-what-you-see-really-shapes-so-much-of-who-you/) [Ariana DeBose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana-debose/) [Browse all 189 Empathetic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathetic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are not without empathetic terror when we open Pascal's 'Pensees' and read, 'I am the great silent spaces between worlds.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-when-we-open-pascal-s-pensees/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Empathetic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-when-we-open-pascal-s-pensees/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/carl-sagan-160_empathetic_we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-whe_1598593.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/carl-sagan-160_empathetic_we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-whe_1598593.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/carl-sagan-160_empathetic_we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-whe_1598593.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are not without empathetic terror when we open Pascal's 'Pensees' and read, 'I am the great silent spaces…” — Carl Sagan", "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": "Carl Sagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are not without empathetic terror...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-when-we-open-pascal-s-pensees/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-not-without-empathetic-terror-when-we-open-pascal-s-pensees/#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 } } ] } ```