The greatness of man is great in that he knows himself to be wretched. A tree does not know itself to be wretched.

If man made himself the first object of study, he would see how incapable he is of going further. How can a part know the whole?

Man's greatness lies in his power of thought.

Man's greatness lies in his power of thought.

Thus so wretched is man that he would weary even without any cause for weariness... and so frivolous is he that, though full of a thousand reasons for weariness, the least thing, such as playing billiards or hitting a ball, is sufficient enough to amuse him.

Greatness knows itself.