I made this [letter] very long, because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter.
I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.(Letter 16, 1657)
Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.
Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things.
Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed.
As men are not able to fight against death, misery, ignorance, they have taken it into their heads, in order to be happy, not to think of them at all.
Vanity of science. Knowledge of physical science will not console me for ignorance of morality in time of affliction, but knowledge of morality will always console me for ignorance of physical science.
The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of… We know the truth not only by the reason, but by the heart.
Through space the universe grasps me and swallows me up like a speck; through thought I grasp it.
Each man is everything to himself, for with his death everything is dead for him. That is why each of us thinks he is everything to everyone. We must not judge nature by ourselves, but by its own standards.
I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live as if there isn’t and to die to find out that there is.