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Just a bit more on why Pascal thought even a king is unhappy when he thinks about himself: Whatever condition we picture to ourselves, if we muster all the goo

Just a bit more on why Pascal thought even a king is unhappy when he thinks about himself: Whatever condition we picture to ourselves, if we muster all the good things which it is possible to possess, royalty is the finest position in the world. Yet, when we imagine a king attended with every pleasure he can feel, if he be without diversion, and be left to consider and reflect on what he is, this feeble happiness will not sustain him; he will necessarily fall into forebodings of dangers, of revolutions which may happen, and, finally, of death and inevitable disease; so that if he be without what is called diversion, he is unhappy, and more unhappy than the least of his subjects who plays and diverts himself. Hence it comes that play and the society of women, war, and high posts, are so sought after. Not that there is in fact any happiness in them, or that men imagine true bliss to consist in money won at play, or in the hare which they hunt; we would not take these as a gift. We do not seek that easy and peaceful lot which permits us to think of our unhappy condition, nor the dangers of war, nor the labour of office, but the bustle which averts these thoughts of ours, and amuses us. Reasons why we like the chase better than the quarry. Hence it comes that men so much love noise and stir; hence it comes that the prison is so horrible a punishment; hence it comes that the pleasure of solitude is a thing incomprehensible. And it is in fact the greatest source of happiness in the condition of kings, that men try incessantly to divert them, and to procure for them all kinds of pleasures. The king is surrounded by persons whose only thought is to divert the king, and to prevent his thinking of self. For he is unhappy, king though he be, if he think of himself. This is all that men have been able to discover to make themselves happy. And those who philosophise on the matter, and who think men unreasonable for spending a whole day in chasing a hare which they would not have bought, scarce know our nature. The hare in itself would not screen us from the sight of death and calamities; but the chase which turns away our attention from these, does screen us.

op03 6y ago
Does this apply to Ants and Amoebas? They don't seem to enjoy sitting quite either.
- chordalkeyboard 6y ago
  This is an insightful question and likely points towards several fruitful modes of analysis. Why are ants and amoebas always moving? Their biological drives continue to give them orders and so they are never satiated.
  - 3D4y0 6y ago
    Perhaps thats is because ants and amoebas have to find food in a bid to continue thier existence. Its safe to asume that for them to be satiated (not just resting) is to die.
    - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
      Yes! So one wonders if aboriginal foraging humans have a concept of enlightenment.
      - hbarka 6y ago
        Nevermind humans working for a paycheck.
        chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        "before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. after enlightenment: chop wood, carry water"
      - discreteevent 6y ago
        Indeed. I read a book called The Songlines which was about Australian aboriginals and nomadism in general. It qouted Pascal and proposed that the solution is to walk and to wander. That's what we are made for. The solution to the problem of sitting in a room is not to sit in a room!
        myth_buster 6y ago
        > The solution to the problem of sitting in a room is not to sit in a room! Wouldn't that itself be a form of distraction. Your subconscious will be activated but your conscious mind be distracted.
tectonicfury 6y ago
As a Muslim, I pray five times a day, and of late I have begun to perform it "better", as in unshackling myself from worldly thoughts and other mental distractions. I attach zero importance to them and I remind myself that this صلاة (prayer) that I am doing alone deserves any importance, to the exclusion of all others. Thoughts used to come to me to try and induce panic in me, but overtime they have become so feeble that I am no longer aware of them. And talking about the kings, one of the pious said : “If the kings and the children of the kings knew what [felicity] we are in, they would fight us over it with their swords.”
- hohenheim 6y ago
  I don't think what Pascal is trying to get through is that we should numb ourself to inner thoughts. On the contrary, to acknowldege them and if anything, spend more time contemplating. That is when we can learn about ourself, others, and the universe, if I may say. Working from home this entire year, I have tried to practice taking at least 15 minutes everyday, couple of times a day, laying down and just listening to my thoughts, understanding my anxieties. Trying to understand why I feel the way I do, instead of running away from them by distracting myself by various means. This new habit of mine truly has been a life saver in this year.
  - guytv 6y ago
    Sounds a lot like mindfulness mediation.
  - tectonicfury 6y ago
    Pascal is throwing light and expounding upon a weakness found in (most) people, that of depending on distractions to prevent themselves from dwelling on thoughts which remind them of their mortal nature. I didn't read his works enough, none apart from the above quote in fact, to comment on whether or not he recommends acknowledging our inner thoughts and contemplating on them. As for me, I feel real and lasting relief from worshipping Allaah. It's something very tangible and enlightening. It might seem counterintuitive, but it does boost my productivity a lot, even though I ignore thinking about work during prayer. Now, having belief in Allaah has its manifest benefits. I am happy as I write this. I am able to keep afloat a bit in trying times. I was able to come out of depression (and quite a few other mental illnesses). None of it I could achieve except by Allaah's help. When I used to go to hospital for psychiatric treatment, the doctor used to advise me that whenever I feel anxious, I lie down on a bed, relax and think of some beautiful place, in order to ward off the bad feelings. So, even the best advice the doctor could give me was this. And what better place to think of than Paradise? What Pascal was explicit in saying is that there is no inherent happiness in material possessions. But if you know that there is a life after death, that there is a Paradise and a Hell, that there is a Merciful God who, if you believe in Him and obey Him, will reward you for you good deeds and forgive your bad deeds, you will be humble, you will be hopeful, and you will be happy.
nine_k 6y ago
I think that the Buddhist principle of dukkha, the first noble truth, explains this most succinctly: "to exist is to be dissatisfied / suffer".
- prox 6y ago
  It is worthy of mention that the Buddha was a prince, destined to be come king, yet his father tried to lock him up in his golden palace with nothing but entertainment. Eventually the prince does come into contact with suffering, and leads to him trying to find an end to suffering.
  - pharke 6y ago
    It is useful to add that even distraction and entertainment are suffering and unfulfilling in that they are impermanent, illusory and essentially devoid of meaning. All things have "equal taste", good or bad all comes to us through the senses which only produce a reflection of the world in our mind. Even our perception of our own inner world is an appearance of the same sort in consciousness. This shouldn't excuse inaction or wrongdoing or lead one to apathy, however, our actions in the world are still important and have consequences but we should be mindful that this is a condition we are all subject to, a reason for greater empathy and care and a motivation to improve the lives of others as much as we seek to improve our own.
    - guytv 6y ago
      "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional" - attributed to various buddhist leaders / other thinkers.
    - pmoriarty 6y ago
      "It is useful to add that even distraction and entertainment are suffering and unfulfilling in that they are impermanent, illusory and essentially devoid of meaning." This doesn't fully make sense to me. Sure, at some point your pleasure will end, but do you have to judge something by its end? Why not judge it by its beginning or middle instead? It's like saying "don't enjoy your meal, because at some point later you're going to get hungry". That makes no sense to me. Also, regarding the lack of meaning of distraction and entertainment, it's not like "nothingness" (which Buddhism tries to put in its place) has any meaning either. So I'm not sure why one should seek to put one meaningless thing in the place of another.
TriNetra 6y ago
the day you can sit for hours without doing anything, you've attained the state of self-realization – self-love free from all conditions. The conditioned mind is no longer there, the thoughts no longer bombard you, the emotions no longer disturb you. You enjoy the deep peace, contentment and bliss of your infinite self. Then you can truly contemplate deeply on anything you feel important, then the deep mysteries of existence shall open up to you. Then, you see the truth, of life, existence and the universe.
- wcoenen 6y ago
  > Then, you see the truth, of life, existence and the universe. Pretty words, but do they mean anything? For example, if I reach this state, will it be revealed to me why there is something rather than nothing? I think not, otherwise someone would have reported back with the answer already. I'm interested in meditation to learn more about my own body and mind, maybe improve my life somehow. But IMHO the discussions around it could do with less of this type of mystic woo.
  - elbear 6y ago
    > I think not, otherwise someone would have reported back with the answer already. Well, they have, but nobody believes them :) In any case, I understand your attitude to the mystic woo. It used to put me off a lot when I started meditating. Now I take it as simply something that's there. They are statements that someone makes. If they're talking about states that someone could reach and they also give instructions, I might consider trying them to see what happens. In any case as a programmer and scientifically minded meditator, I encourage you to pursue your interest in meditation. Try different techniques until you find something that works. Take it easy, take it slow, cultivate play and joy in your practice. If you manage to do that, you'll reap the fruit of your practice. I wish you good luck!
  - scns 6y ago
    Get Mind Illuminated by John Yates Phd. He breaks down the process into ten steps, woo free.

op03 6y ago

Does this apply to Ants and Amoebas? They don't seem to enjoy sitting quite either.

chordalkeyboard 6y ago
This is an insightful question and likely points towards several fruitful modes of analysis. Why are ants and amoebas always moving? Their biological drives continue to give them orders and so they are never satiated.
- 3D4y0 6y ago
  Perhaps thats is because ants and amoebas have to find food in a bid to continue thier existence. Its safe to asume that for them to be satiated (not just resting) is to die.
  - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
    Yes! So one wonders if aboriginal foraging humans have a concept of enlightenment.
    - hbarka 6y ago
      Nevermind humans working for a paycheck.
      - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        "before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. after enlightenment: chop wood, carry water"
    - discreteevent 6y ago
      Indeed. I read a book called The Songlines which was about Australian aboriginals and nomadism in general. It qouted Pascal and proposed that the solution is to walk and to wander. That's what we are made for. The solution to the problem of sitting in a room is not to sit in a room!
      - myth_buster 6y ago
        > The solution to the problem of sitting in a room is not to sit in a room! Wouldn't that itself be a form of distraction. Your subconscious will be activated but your conscious mind be distracted.

tectonicfury 6y ago

As a Muslim, I pray five times a day, and of late I have begun to perform it "better", as in unshackling myself from worldly thoughts and other mental distractions. I attach zero importance to them and I remind myself that this صلاة (prayer) that I am doing alone deserves any importance, to the exclusion of all others. Thoughts used to come to me to try and induce panic in me, but overtime they have become so feeble that I am no longer aware of them. And talking about the kings, one of the pious said : “If the kings and the children of the kings knew what [felicity] we are in, they would fight us over it with their swords.”

hohenheim 6y ago
I don't think what Pascal is trying to get through is that we should numb ourself to inner thoughts. On the contrary, to acknowldege them and if anything, spend more time contemplating. That is when we can learn about ourself, others, and the universe, if I may say. Working from home this entire year, I have tried to practice taking at least 15 minutes everyday, couple of times a day, laying down and just listening to my thoughts, understanding my anxieties. Trying to understand why I feel the way I do, instead of running away from them by distracting myself by various means. This new habit of mine truly has been a life saver in this year.
- guytv 6y ago
  Sounds a lot like mindfulness mediation.
- tectonicfury 6y ago
  Pascal is throwing light and expounding upon a weakness found in (most) people, that of depending on distractions to prevent themselves from dwelling on thoughts which remind them of their mortal nature. I didn't read his works enough, none apart from the above quote in fact, to comment on whether or not he recommends acknowledging our inner thoughts and contemplating on them. As for me, I feel real and lasting relief from worshipping Allaah. It's something very tangible and enlightening. It might seem counterintuitive, but it does boost my productivity a lot, even though I ignore thinking about work during prayer. Now, having belief in Allaah has its manifest benefits. I am happy as I write this. I am able to keep afloat a bit in trying times. I was able to come out of depression (and quite a few other mental illnesses). None of it I could achieve except by Allaah's help. When I used to go to hospital for psychiatric treatment, the doctor used to advise me that whenever I feel anxious, I lie down on a bed, relax and think of some beautiful place, in order to ward off the bad feelings. So, even the best advice the doctor could give me was this. And what better place to think of than Paradise? What Pascal was explicit in saying is that there is no inherent happiness in material possessions. But if you know that there is a life after death, that there is a Paradise and a Hell, that there is a Merciful God who, if you believe in Him and obey Him, will reward you for you good deeds and forgive your bad deeds, you will be humble, you will be hopeful, and you will be happy.

nine_k 6y ago

I think that the Buddhist principle of dukkha, the first noble truth, explains this most succinctly: "to exist is to be dissatisfied / suffer".

prox 6y ago
It is worthy of mention that the Buddha was a prince, destined to be come king, yet his father tried to lock him up in his golden palace with nothing but entertainment. Eventually the prince does come into contact with suffering, and leads to him trying to find an end to suffering.
- pharke 6y ago
  It is useful to add that even distraction and entertainment are suffering and unfulfilling in that they are impermanent, illusory and essentially devoid of meaning. All things have "equal taste", good or bad all comes to us through the senses which only produce a reflection of the world in our mind. Even our perception of our own inner world is an appearance of the same sort in consciousness. This shouldn't excuse inaction or wrongdoing or lead one to apathy, however, our actions in the world are still important and have consequences but we should be mindful that this is a condition we are all subject to, a reason for greater empathy and care and a motivation to improve the lives of others as much as we seek to improve our own.
  - guytv 6y ago
    "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional" - attributed to various buddhist leaders / other thinkers.
  - pmoriarty 6y ago
    "It is useful to add that even distraction and entertainment are suffering and unfulfilling in that they are impermanent, illusory and essentially devoid of meaning." This doesn't fully make sense to me. Sure, at some point your pleasure will end, but do you have to judge something by its end? Why not judge it by its beginning or middle instead? It's like saying "don't enjoy your meal, because at some point later you're going to get hungry". That makes no sense to me. Also, regarding the lack of meaning of distraction and entertainment, it's not like "nothingness" (which Buddhism tries to put in its place) has any meaning either. So I'm not sure why one should seek to put one meaningless thing in the place of another.

TriNetra 6y ago

the day you can sit for hours without doing anything, you've attained the state of self-realization – self-love free from all conditions. The conditioned mind is no longer there, the thoughts no longer bombard you, the emotions no longer disturb you. You enjoy the deep peace, contentment and bliss of your infinite self. Then you can truly contemplate deeply on anything you feel important, then the deep mysteries of existence shall open up to you. Then, you see the truth, of life, existence and the universe.

wcoenen 6y ago
> Then, you see the truth, of life, existence and the universe. Pretty words, but do they mean anything? For example, if I reach this state, will it be revealed to me why there is something rather than nothing? I think not, otherwise someone would have reported back with the answer already. I'm interested in meditation to learn more about my own body and mind, maybe improve my life somehow. But IMHO the discussions around it could do with less of this type of mystic woo.
- elbear 6y ago
  > I think not, otherwise someone would have reported back with the answer already. Well, they have, but nobody believes them :) In any case, I understand your attitude to the mystic woo. It used to put me off a lot when I started meditating. Now I take it as simply something that's there. They are statements that someone makes. If they're talking about states that someone could reach and they also give instructions, I might consider trying them to see what happens. In any case as a programmer and scientifically minded meditator, I encourage you to pursue your interest in meditation. Try different techniques until you find something that works. Take it easy, take it slow, cultivate play and joy in your practice. If you manage to do that, you'll reap the fruit of your practice. I wish you good luck!
- scns 6y ago
  Get Mind Illuminated by John Yates Phd. He breaks down the process into ten steps, woo free.