Blaise Pascal – All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone
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Welcome to The Daily Quote—a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for January 16th.
Let’s dive right in. Today is National Nothing Day. Yes, it’s a real thing, and it’s been around since 1973. The idea is to do… absolutely nothing. No celebrating, no recognizing—just nothing. Sounds like the perfect excuse to sit on the couch and contemplate the mysteries of the universe. Or, to try that new meditation app... or does mind like water count as something.
Fittingly, today’s quote comes from Blaise Pascal,
Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and theologian. A true polymath, Pascal made significant contributions to various fields and left an enduring legacy in both the sciences and the humanities.
One of his most famous philosophical arguments is known as Pascal's Wager where he proposes that believing in God is the rational choice because the potential benefits (eternal happiness) far outweigh the risks (nothing lost if God doesn’t exist).
He once said:
“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
It’s a profound thought—and pretty ironic, considering most of us would struggle to sit quietly in a room without scrolling our phones and then scrolling our phones some more. Pascal is saying that doing “nothing” in the truest sense—just sitting, thinking, being—can actually be one of the hardest things for us to do.
And let’s be honest—National Nothing Day also seems tailor-made for teenagers. Coincidentally, it’s also Good Teen Day. So, as a proud parent of a teen, I can confidently predict that my child will absolutely lean into National Nothing Day with enthusiasm.
Clean my room? Not happening. Today is National Nothing Day Dad. Chores? Not on National Nothing Day. I’m guessing I’ll be lucky if I even get a grunt in acknowledgment when I say good morning. But that one has nothing to do with National Nothing Day.
But maybe we all deserve permission to slow down. Life doesn’t always have to be a sprint. Sometimes, doing nothing can be exactly what you need. Just don’t do it so much that your desk gets messy again and your house is no longer in order. All that work from a few days ago will go to waste!
That’s it for today! Remember Blaise Pascal’s wisdom and try sitting quietly, even if just for a moment. But if you’re like me and the silence makes you uneasy, don’t worry—you’re in good company.
I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for today. Until next time, take care, and if you happen to have a teenager, good luck getting them to do anything productive today. I'll be back tomorrow, same pod time, same pod station - for another Daily Quote!