"I am frightened and am astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, why now rather than then...The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me...Art thou less a slave by being loved and favoured by thy master? Thou art indeed well off, slave. Thy master favours thee; he will soon beat thee. The last act is tragic, however happy all the rest of the play is; at the last a little earth is thrown upon our head, and that is the end for ever. We are fools to depend upon the society of our fellow-men. Wretched as we are, powerless as we are, they will not aid us; we shall die alone. We should therefore act as if we were alone, and in that case should we build fine houses, etc. We should seek the truth without hesitation; and, if we refuse it, we show that we value the esteem of men more than the search for truth."
-Blaise Pascal
Pensées Sec. II 205-211, translated by W. F. Trotter, link
