“The self is hateful.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“The self is hateful.”
Explanation
Pascal makes a stark and unsettling claim about human nature: that the self—when focused on itself—is fundamentally detestable. This is not a denial of human dignity, but a critique of self-centeredness, pride, and the delusion of self-sufficiency. What makes the self hateful, in Pascal’s view, is its constant effort to exalt itself, to dominate, to be loved, and to deny its own weaknesses and dependence. The self seeks to be the center of all things, and in doing so, distorts the truth and fosters conflict, vanity, and hypocrisy.
In Pensées, Pascal consistently portrays man as caught between greatness and wretchedness. The greatness comes from reason and the capacity for God; the wretchedness comes from our fallen tendency to make ourselves the measure of all things. Pascal’s theological framework sees the self, when detached from God, as corrupted by sin and illusion. The more the self seeks its own glory, the further it moves from humility, truth, and grace—making it not only flawed but morally offensive.
In today’s culture, which often prizes self-expression, self-esteem, and self-promotion, Pascal’s claim is a sharp counterpoint. He warns that an unchecked focus on the self leads not to fulfillment, but to distortion and despair. His quote calls us to examine the ego’s motives and illusions, and to seek a better grounding for our identity—not in self-exaltation, but in humility, truth, and love of something greater than ourselves.
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