“We run carelessly to the precipice, after we have put something before us to prevent us seeing it.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“We run carelessly to the precipice, after we have put something before us to prevent us seeing it.”
Explanation
Pascal reveals a deep truth about human self-deception and avoidance, suggesting that we often rush toward ruin while deliberately blinding ourselves to its presence. The “precipice” symbolizes disaster, death, or moral failure, and instead of facing it, we distract ourselves—intellectually, emotionally, or socially—with illusions or diversions. This act of willful blindness allows us to live without the discomfort of confronting hard truths, even as we draw nearer to danger.
In Pensées, Pascal frequently discusses divertissement, or diversion, as a key strategy by which people avoid thinking about their mortality and spiritual condition. He believed that humans instinctively sense their vulnerability and final judgment, but instead of responding with humility or reflection, they seek distraction in pleasure, status, and activity. The tragedy, according to Pascal, is that this blindness is not accidental—it is chosen to preserve comfort, even at the cost of truth.
In contemporary life, this quote remains hauntingly relevant. Whether through endless entertainment, consumerism, or the avoidance of uncomfortable realities like climate change, mortality, or injustice, society often runs forward without reflection, covering the precipice with noise and distraction. Pascal’s warning urges us to remove the blindfolds we create, to face what we fear, and to act with wisdom and courage before the edge becomes unavoidable. Only through awareness can true change begin.
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