A few weeks back I posted a quote from Mark Twain that I found provocative. This week, an exploration of a quote I came across a few years ago:
I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man’s being unable to sit still in a room.—Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662), Pensées, no. 72
Sounds like a case for the necessity of meditation practice.
To get a little context on this quote of his I did some quick research on Pascal and his Pensées. Wikipedia tells me he adhered to Jansenism, a branch of Catholic Gallican thought that emphasized original sin and human depravity. And indeed, after a brief survey of his other “Thoughts” it is apparent they aren’t terribly cheery.