All the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber.
Blaise Pascal Pensées, Pensée 139 (1670) Translated by W. F. Trotter
Source checked by an editor
When and why it was written
- When
- From the Pensées, notes Pascal left at his death in 1662, published in 1670.
- Why
- Pascal is writing about diversion: why people seek constant distraction.
What it means
Pascal saw in the 17th century what we see on our phones: people will do almost anything to avoid sitting quietly with themselves.
A few minutes alone with a page is a small refusal of that flight.
Our reading of the passage cited above, not a quotation from a commentary.
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Pensées, 1670
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