Pascal on Finding Rest in an Age of Distraction

Problem

“I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”[1] This was written by Blaise Pascal, a 17^th-century mathematician and apologist whose lasting work is the Pensées. At first glance, this statement seems hyperbolic—a provocative exaggeration. But upon further investigation, I believe you will find that Pascal hit the bullseye. Recall the last time you had a moment to yourself—you finished a long day’s work, got home after being with friends, or finally got all the kids in bed. What happens next? What do you reach for? The TV remote, the iPad, your phone, maybe even a good book! And this is Pascal’s point as he explains, “The only good thing for men therefore is to be diverted from thinking of what they are, either by some occupation which takes their mind off it, or by some novel and agreeable passion which keeps them busy, like gambling, hunting, some absorbing show, in short by what is called diversion.”[2] What we reach for in those times whether it be TV or its most effective offspring, the smartphone, we do because we want to be distracted. We claim that we want rest, a break, some peace, but “we prefer the hunt to the capture.”[3] We avoid thinking about ourselves by doomscrolling on our phones, keeping up with the latest news, sports, arts, or even being with a friend. All of it could be an attempt to escape ourselves. So why do we do this?

Reason

Pascal gives us three reasons why we divert ourselves: a sense of wretchedness, the belief that diversion will make us happy, and boredom. The first is our sense of sinfulness, our inadequacy, our falling short of the glory of God, that is, failing to be who we were made to be. This is the result of the fall. And while our unfallen nature knows that happiness is found in rest, our fallen nature compels us to see diversion (distraction) as the path to happiness—Pascal’s second reason. In speaking about those who believe this, Pascal says that they “seek rest by way of activity and always to imagine that the satisfaction they miss will come to them once they overcome certain obvious difficulties and can open the door to welcome rest.”[4] And so goes our life constantly moving onto the next activity hoping it will finally satisfy. But it doesn’t. The rest that follows produces the third effect: boredom. Pascal continues, “All our life passes in this way: we seek rest by struggling over certain obstacles, and once they are overcome, rest proves intolerable because of the boredom it produces. We must get away from it and crave excitement.”[5] The intensity of boredom drives us back to a diversion, and the cycle begins anew. To summarize, Pascal reveals that we divert ourselves because we know we are wretched, because we hold out the vain hope that it will make us happy, and because boredom proves insufferable.

Solution

So where do we go from here? Is there a way to get off this endless merry-go-round of distractions? There is a way—the way of Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, we get a glimpse, “In these days he [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). The solution is not navel-gazing, not self-discovery, not even to sit quietly alone in a room. The solution is communion with God—the one who knows you fully, loves you unfailingly, and alone holds lasting happiness, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). The wretchedness we know, the vain distractions we pursue, and the incessant boredom we feel cannot stand in the presence of the one, true God. With Jesus, we find satisfying rest.

[1] Blaise Pascal, Pensées, Rev. ed, trans. A. J. Krailsheimer, Penguin Classics (Penguin Books, 1995), no. 136.
[2] Ibid., no 136.
[3] Ibid., no 136.
[4] Ibid., no 136.
[5] Ibid., no 136.