It is certain that those who have the living faith in their hearts see at once that all existence is none other than the work of the God whom they adore. But for those in whom this light is extinguished, [if we were to show them our proofs of the existence of God] nothing is more calculated to arouse their contempt. . . .

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.

Man's grandeur is that he knows himself to be miserable.

In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.

Each one is all in all to himself; for being dead, all is dead to him.

Anyone who does not see the vanity of the world is very vain himself. So who does not see it, apart from young people whose lives are all noise, diversions, and thoughts for the future? But take away their diversion and you will see them bored to extinction. Then they feel their nullity without recognizing it, for nothing could be more wretched than to be intolerably depressed as soon as one is reduced to introspection with no means of diversion.

Who knows if this other half of life where we think we're awake is not another sleep a little different from the first.