A THREAD on thought provoking ideas by Descartes:
1/
The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts.
1/
The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts.
2/
Some years ago I was struck by the large number of falsehoods that I had accepted as true in my childhood, and by the highly doubtful nature of the whole edifice that I had subsequently based on them...
Some years ago I was struck by the large number of falsehoods that I had accepted as true in my childhood, and by the highly doubtful nature of the whole edifice that I had subsequently based on them...
...I realized that it was necessary, once in the course of my life, to demolish everything completely and start again right from the foundations if I wanted to establish anything at all in the sciences that was stable and likely to last.
3/
Conquer yourself rather than the world.
Conquer yourself rather than the world.
4/
To know what people really think, pay attention to what they do, rather than what they say.
To know what people really think, pay attention to what they do, rather than what they say.
5/
To live without philosophizing is in truth the same as keeping the eyes closed without attempting to open them.
To live without philosophizing is in truth the same as keeping the eyes closed without attempting to open them.
6/
In my opinion, all things in nature occur mathematically.
In my opinion, all things in nature occur mathematically.
7/
For I found myself embarrassed with so many doubts and errors that it seemed to me that the effort to instruct myself had no effect other than the increasing discovery of my own ignorance.
For I found myself embarrassed with so many doubts and errors that it seemed to me that the effort to instruct myself had no effect other than the increasing discovery of my own ignorance.
8/
In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn than to contemplate.
In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn than to contemplate.
9/
Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.
Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.
10/
So blind is the curiosity by which mortals are possessed, that they often conduct their minds along unexplored routes, having no reason to hope for success, but merely being willing to risk the experiment of finding whether the truth they seek lies there.
So blind is the curiosity by which mortals are possessed, that they often conduct their minds along unexplored routes, having no reason to hope for success, but merely being willing to risk the experiment of finding whether the truth they seek lies there.
11/
I desire to live in peace and to continue the life I have begun under the motto 'to live well you must live unseen'.
I desire to live in peace and to continue the life I have begun under the motto 'to live well you must live unseen'.
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