Here is a link to an interview with author William Gaddis:

http://www.centerforbookculture.org/interviews/interview_gaddis.html

In the interview, he mentions a quote from (he thinks) Pascal:

Q: You said that you enjoy writing, but you have never discussed your
writing habits. Do you keep a journal or notebooks? Do you have
preferences as to when and where you work, etc?

WG: Have I said I enjoy writing? Some high moment and I probably did,
but it's nearer what Pascal, was it he? as I have it at second hand,
said about no man differing more from another than he does from
himself at another time.

I'd like to know if the quote really is from Pascal, as well as the
exact wording of the quote.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 03 Jan 2004 12:10 PST

My online search through the works of Blaise Pascal didn't turn up
anything that resembles this quote. However, I have located similar
quotes by two other authors (one from the 17th Century, one from the
19th). If no one else can home in on your Pascal quote, I'll be glad
to post as an answer the two quotes that I found during my search.

---

Clarification of Question by goffman68-ga on 03 Jan 2004 12:59 PST

It looks like bowler-ga tracked down a few Web references -- thanks,
by the way -- but no definitive source. So yeah, I guess I'd either
like a source on the Pascal quote or the two similar quotes you
tracked down. Thanks.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 03 Jan 2004 20:11 PST

This is a toughie. I've done searches in both French and English, and
I have seen no hard evidence linking Pascal to this quotation. I
suggest that we leave the question open to all Researchers for a few
days to see whether anyone succeeds in nailing Pascal as a source. At
your request, I will be glad to answer your question by posting
information about the two similar quotes I mentioned above.

---

Request for Question Clarification by hlabadie-ga on 04 Jan 2004 16:37 PST

Ironically, the quotation is almost certainly a paraphrase of a line
from an essay, On the Inconsistency of Our Actions,  by Michel de
Montaigne (1533-1592), against whom Pascal was wont to write
reprovingly.


The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Essays of Montaigne, V9 
http://www.worldebooklibrary.com/eBooks/Gutenberg/etext02/mn09v11.htm

Of the inconstancy of our actions.

"Neither do I allow of the conjecture of the Parians, sent to regulate
the Milesians sufficient for such a consequence as they from thence
derived coming to visit the island, they took notice of such grounds
as were best husbanded, and such country-houses as were best governed;
and having taken the names of the owners, when they had assembled the
citizens, they appointed these farmers for new governors and
magistrates; concluding that they, who had been so provident in their
own private concerns, would be so of the public too.  We are all
lumps, and of so various and inform a contexture, that every piece
plays, every moment, its own game, and there is as much difference
betwixt us and ourselves as betwixt us and others:

               "Magnam rem puta, unum hominem agere."

     ["Esteem it a great thing always to act as one and the same 
man."--Seneca, Ep., 150.]"

Is this satisfactory?

hlabadie-ga

I am certain I've finally tracked down the source of your Pascal
quote. The quote comes from an essay entitled "De l'art de persuader"
("The Art of Persuasion"), written around 1657-1658.

"La raison de cette extrême difficulté vient de ce que les principes
du plaisir ne sont pas fermes et stables. Ils sont divers en tous les
hommes, et variables dans chaque particulier avec une telle diversité,
qu'il n'y a point d'homme plus différent d'un autre que de soi même
dans les divers temps."

Lire en Ligne: Blaise Pascal
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/le-coin-des-poetes/lire_en_ligne/pascal_blaise/petits_ecrits_philosophiques_et_religieux/04.php3

An English translation:

"The reason of this extreme difficulty comes from the fact that the
principles of pleasure are not firm and stable. They are different in
all mankind, and variable in every particular with such a diversity
that there is no man more different from another than from himself at
different times."

Bartleby: Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662) Minor Works
http://www.bartleby.com/48/3/7.html

As I mentioned earlier, I also found similar quotes from two other authors.

This comes from Chapter XV of Thomas Hobbes's "Leviathan" (1651): 

"Nay, the same man, in diverse times, differs from himself; and one
time praiseth, that is, calleth good, what another time he
dispraiseth, and calleth evil: from whence arise disputes,
controversies, and at last war."

Montclair State University: Texts for Discussion
http://www.msu.org/ethics/content_ethics/texts/hobbes/hobbes_text14.htm 

A quote from the writings of 19th Century evangelist Joseph C. Philpot: 

"And thus the Spirit, by a process which we may feel but cannot
adequately describe, leads us into the mystery of the two natures,
that 'company of two armies,' perpetually struggling and striving
against each other in the same bosom. So that one man cannot more
differ from another than the same man differs from himself. "

Asia-Pacific Institute Of Biblical Studies: Daily Portions
http://www.apibs.org/devotions/dailyp/dp12.htm

Many thanks to my fellow Researchers for their suggestions. 

This was a fascinating hunt! If anything is unclear, or if a link does
not function, please request clarification; I'll be glad to offer
further assistance before you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

I've found this sort of biblical reference:

No man differs so widely from another man, as John from Jesus, and yet
with him the Spirit descended, that we may learn, that it is God who
worketh all, that all is God's doing.

http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-13/npnf1-13-102.htm

But I would wait for Pinkfreud's answer as she usually has the correct
answer (how does she do it?)


Bowler-ga

By the way the source of the above quote is here:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/PATRISTC/PNI13-10.TXT

This website clamis Pascal did indeed say it:

http://www.grazian-archive.com/quantavolution/QuantaHTML/HomoSchizo_1_08.htm

Here is the exact wording of the quote:

As Blaise Pascal said, long ago, "There is no man who differs more
from another than he does from himself at another time."

Hope this helps.

Bowler-ga

Here is another website stating Pascal said it:

http://www.unca.edu/~swalters/_disc4/00000067.htm

Bowler-ga

goffman68, 

Thank you very much for the five-star rating and the generous tip!

~pinkfreud