“Two things control men’s nature, instinct and experience.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“Two things control men’s nature, instinct and experience.”
Explanation
Pascal identifies two fundamental forces that shape human behavior: instinct, the inborn impulses with which we are born, and experience, the accumulated knowledge and habits we acquire over time. Instinct governs our earliest responses—self-preservation, desire, fear—while experience gradually refines or redirects these impulses through learning, memory, and reflection. Together, they explain the way human beings act, grow, and respond to the world.
This observation fits well within Pascal’s broader exploration in Pensées of the complexity and contradiction of human nature. While instinct connects us to the animal world, experience elevates us into the realm of reason and morality. However, even with experience, we are not always wise or just—our instincts can overpower what we’ve learned, and our experiences can mislead us. This dual influence reveals both our potential and our vulnerability.
In the modern world, Pascal’s insight remains crucial. From psychology to education and ethics, we still wrestle with the balance between nature and nurture, impulse and reason. His quote reminds us that human behavior is not driven by logic alone, but by a constant interaction between what we feel and what we’ve learned. Wisdom, then, lies in understanding both forces—and in cultivating experience that can shape instinct toward what is true and good.
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