Zat Rana has written an exceptional piece about the impact of Blaise Pascal on modern social sciences. As a man of faith (as well as a student of both the physical and social sciences), I have always looked up to Pascal. And this article is a gentle reminder that I need to re-read Pensées yet again.
In his article entitled “The Most Important Skill Nobody Taught You”, Zat Rana asserts that one of the fundamental lessons from Pascal is the adoption of solitude as a personal growth practice. As I read and considered this, I was left wondering if I (and the social media literati) could ever stop tweeting, blogging, and posting long enough to spend even a few moments in contemplative solitude.
Rana states, “At its core, it’s not necessarily that we are addicted to a TV set because there is something uniquely satisfying about it, just like we are not addicted to most stimulants because the benefits outweigh the downsides. Rather, what we are really addicted to is a state of not-being-bored.”
Unfortunately, I have to agree. I spend so much time trying to do something (nay anything) that I miss the chance to do nothing. And when I empty a moment of all of its burdens, it is then that I can hear the still small voice of God speaking to me.