“All of our reasoning ends in surrender to feeling.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“All of our reasoning ends in surrender to feeling.”
Explanation
Pascal asserts that no matter how far reason carries us, our final decisions and convictions are ultimately shaped by feeling. While we may use logic and evidence to analyze and argue, it is emotion—intuition, desire, or the heart—that determines what we accept, commit to, or believe. Reason can build the path, but it is feeling that chooses the direction at the crossroads.
This theme is central to Pensées, where Pascal explores the limits of rationality and the power of the heart. He does not deny the value of reason—indeed, he was a master of it—but he insists that human beings are not purely rational creatures. We are deeply moved by what we love, hope for, or fear. Even in faith, belief often emerges not from proof, but from the felt need for meaning, grace, and truth.
In contemporary terms, this quote resonates in psychology, ethics, and decision-making theory. People often imagine themselves as rational actors, yet studies in behavioral science confirm Pascal’s insight: emotions frequently override logic in choices ranging from politics to relationships. His words remind us that true understanding of human nature requires both head and heart, and that reason does not rule alone—it bows, in the end, to what we feel.
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