Blaise Pascal

"The human condition: inconstancy, boredom, anxiety."

"Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius."

"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions."

"A man who cannot find peace within himself will never find it anywhere else."

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few engage in it."

"The secret of being boring is to say everything."

"Man's greatness lies in his power of thought."

"The pain of separation is only the wound made by the arrow of a man's own opinion."

"The present is the only time in which any duty can be done."

"What art thou, O man, in the infinite depths of the universe?"

"Beauty without grace is like a hook without bait."

"The study of geometry cannot take us to heaven."

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

"Certainty without understanding is as much a prison as doubt."

"Love is the only excuse for existence."

"The greatest truths are the simplest, and so are the greatest men."

"We desire truth, and find in ourselves only uncertainty."

"It is not certain that everything is uncertain."

"To make light of philosophy is to be a true philosopher."

"Variety is needed in all things to avoid satiety."

"A trifle consolation to misery is better than a great one."

"The weather and my mood have little connection."

"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."

"The art of persuasion consists as much in that of pleasing as in that of convincing."

"Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch."

"We must learn our limits by going beyond them."

"Reason commands us much more often than authority."

"The finite exists only through the infinite."

"The soul was made for happiness, not for knowledge alone."

"True listening is the beginning of all understanding."