Blaise Pascal

Book: Pensées

"None other has known that man is the most excellent creature. Those who truly knew the reality of his excellence considered the natural self-esteem and ingratitude of humans as cowardice. Others, who recognized how effective this baseness is, ridiculed the natural feelings of grandeur in man as absurd pride. 'Lift your eyes to God,' say some; 'see the one you resemble, and who made you to worship. You can make yourself like Him; wisdom will make you equal if you choose to follow it.' And others say to him, 'Lower your eyes to the earth, pitiful worm that you are, and look at the beasts with which you share your existence.' What, then, will become of man? Will he be equal to God or to the beasts? What a terrifying distance! What will we become? Who does not see through all this that man is lost, that he can no longer find himself? And who will guide him? Even the greatest men have been unable to do so."

Painting by Yuriy Shevchuk (Maserati 3500 GT)

Translated from French

Illustration by Laurent Guidali

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