The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe things because we want them to be so and not because we have seen them for what they are.
• Ch. I, § xvi, p. 69
• Ch. I, § xvi, p. 69
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Le plus grand dérèglement de l'esprit, c'est de croire les choses parce qu'on veut qu'elles soient et non parce qu'on a vu qu'elles sont en effet.
— Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Le plus grand dérèglement de l'esprit, c'est de croire les choses parce qu'on veut qu'elles soient et non parce qu'on a vu qu'elles sont en effet." in the context of "The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe things because we want them to be so and not because we have seen them for what they are.
• Ch. I, § xvi, p. 69" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet" (Quotes, Treatise on the Knowledge of God and of One's Self (1677): Traité de la connaissance de Dieu et de soi-même (1677), in Œvres complètes de Bossuet, Vol. XXIII, ed. F. Lachat (Paris: Louis Vivès, 1864))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (September 27, 1627 – April 12, 1704) was a French bishop, theologian, and court preacher. Bossuet was one of the first to advocate the theory of political absolutism; he made the argument that government was divine and that kings received their power from God.
About Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (September 27, 1627 – April 12, 1704) was a French bishop, theologian, and court preacher. Bossuet was one of the first to advocate the theory of political absolutism; he made the argument that government was divine and that kings received their power from God.
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