"Man is obviously made to think. It is his whole dignity and his whole merit; and his whole duty is to think as he ought." (146)
Pascal explores the connection between purpose and thought. As christians we might be hesitant to agree with the mighty Pascal here. After all, isn't the chief end of man to glorify God and enjoy Him forever? Right ho, Jeeves.
How does one glorify God? How do we even arrive at a place of glorifying God? According to Pascal, man's first thought is of himself, then his Author and his end. As we proceed from ourselves to our end, we must journey to the thoughts of our Author. That is where it hits us! We need to glorify God! That is the only way to be content with who we are and what we will become in the end.
It is when a man embraces his 'whole duty... to think as he ought' that he is faced with his inadequacies within himself. We must look outward, at something higher than ourselves. As Pascal also says:
"According to the doctrine of chance, you ought to put yourself to the trouble of searching for the truth; for if you die without worshipping the True Cause, you are lost." (236)
More on that logic next...