"Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor the lack of contradiction a sign of truth"
- Blaise Pascal
About this Quote
This quote by Blaise Pascal is a reminder that truth and falsity are not constantly quickly identified. He is recommending that the existence or lack of contradiction does not necessarily show whether something is true or incorrect. Instead, he is stressing the importance of looking beyond the surface of a statement and taking a look at the evidence and thinking behind it.
Pascal is encouraging us to believe seriously and to not take things at face value. He is recommending that we need to not be too fast to accept something as real or false based exclusively on the presence or absence of contradiction. Instead, we need to look deeper and think about the proof and reasoning behind a statement.
This quote is a pointer that fact and falsity are not always easily figured out. It encourages us to believe critically and to not take things at stated value. We should look beyond the surface of a declaration and examine the proof and thinking behind it before accepting it as true or incorrect.
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