L'homme est un roseau, le plus faible de la nature, mais c'est un roseau pensant. (347)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Human beings are fragile like reeds, the weakest in nature, yet they possess the capacity to think.
- In plain terms
- People are weak but can think.
- What can you take from it?
- Even the weakest can exercise reason.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does it mean to be a 'thinking reed'?
- How can frailty inspire deeper reflection?
Another view
Physical weakness does not guarantee intellectual weakness.
More from Blaise Pascal
Make religion attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is. Worthy of reverence because it really understands human nature. Attractive…
Permalink to quote #34 Man is only a disguise, a liar, a hypocrite, both to himself and to others. (377)
Permalink to quote #36 Knowledge of physical science will not console me for ignorance of morality in time of affliction, but knowledge of morality will always console me for ignoran…
Permalink to quote #33
Related quotes
It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being unable to defend himself with his limbs but not of being unable to defend himself with speech and …
AristotleAristotle quote #6 For some time the entire effort of our philosophers has aimed solely at replacing the notion of human nature with that of situation, and replacing ancient harm…
Albert CamusAlbert Camus quote #130 Man is a creation of desire, not a creation of need.
Gaston BachelardGaston Bachelard quote #1