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Quote by Jean Meslier

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Superstition in All Ages

This book delves into the origins, prevalence, and impact of superstitions in various societies and time periods, providing a detailed analysis of their role in human life and thought. more

Author

Jean Meslier
Jean Meslier

Jean Meslier was a French philosopher born on June 15, 1664, and died on June 17, 1729. His philosophical thoughts were deeply influenced by the Enlightenment, particularly focusing on moral philosophy and religious criticism. more

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“Nobody really owns anything. We give back our bodies at the end of our lives. We own our thoughts, but everything else is just borrowed. We use it for a while, then pass it on. Everything. We borrow the sun that shines on us today from the people on the other side of the world while they borrow the moon from us. Then we give it back. We can't keep the sun, no matter how afraid we are of the dark.”

“We have reached the age, those of us to whom fortune has assigned a post in life's struggle, when beaten and smashed and biffed by the lashing of the dragon's tail, we begin to appreciate that the old man was not such a fool after all. We saw our parents wrestling with the same dragon, and we thought, though we never spoke a thought aloud, 'Why doesn't he hit him on the head?' Alas, comrads, we know now. We have hit the dragon on the head and we have seen the dragon smile.”

“In endeavor itself there is a certain dynamic entertainment, affording an illusion of useful purpose. With achievement the illusion is dispelled. Man's greatest accomplishment is to produce change. The only good in life is study, because study is an endeavor that never reaches fulfillment. It busies a man to the end of his days, and it aims at the only true reality in all this world of shams and deceits.”