“When we see a natural style, we are astonished and charmed; for we expected to see an author, and we find a person.”
- June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662
- French
- Mathematician, Physicist, Inventor, Philosopher, Theologian
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Quote
“When we see a natural style, we are astonished and charmed; for we expected to see an author, and we find a person.”
Explanation
Pascal celebrates the power of natural expression—writing or speech that reveals the humanity of the speaker rather than the constructed image of a writer. When we encounter a natural style, we are moved because it feels genuine, effortless, and sincere. We don’t just hear an argument or admire a technique; we feel as though we’ve met a person, someone real and relatable. This kind of authenticity disarms us, because we are conditioned to expect rhetoric, artifice, or self-display—and instead, we encounter truth.
In Pensées, Pascal often reflects on the importance of humility, clarity, and emotional resonance in communication. A natural style, to him, does not mean casual or simplistic—it means one that flows from deep understanding and honest intention, without pretension or ornament. It is a style that serves the content and the reader, rather than the ego of the author. In this, we recognize not a performance, but a presence—not an authority, but a fellow human being.
In an age saturated with curated personas and performative writing—whether online, in media, or in literature—Pascal’s insight remains strikingly relevant. Readers crave authenticity, and they are quick to notice when it’s absent. His quote reminds us that the most powerful style is not the one that dazzles, but the one that reveals, and that behind every well-crafted sentence, the reader is searching for a voice that speaks like a person, not a pose.
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