Quotes: Intuition
3 quotes on this theme, each with its source and insight
The quotes
“When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.”
Source: The Alchemist, 1988 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence reflects a passage in The Alchemist where the Old King tells Santiago that a true desire aligns with the soul of the world; Paulo Coelho is the author.
- What remains uncertain
- The wording provided is a common paraphrase or translation variant; the novel’s most common English translation phrases it slightly differently.
This line captures The Alchemist’s core: a true, deep desire links to the “soul of the world,” and within the novel’s symbolic frame the world aids someone who commits to their calling. It’s a spiritual metaphor urging action, attention to signs, and persistent effort rather than a literal promise of effortless success. Author: Paulo Coelho.
“The heart has its reasons which reason does not know.”
Source: Pensées (posthumous fragments) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line is a genuine fragment from Pascal's Pensées, preserved in posthumous compilations of his papers.
Pascal argues that some truths are grasped by an inward sense rather than by formal proof. In the religious context of his Pensées, the “heart” names an intuitive faculty that perceives God and faith where reason alone cannot fully demonstrate.
“One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Source: The Little Prince, ch. 21 (1943) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence is spoken by the Fox in chapter 21 of The Little Prince; authorship by Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry is securely attested.
The line names a moral truth: true insight comes through bond and care, not mere sight. In The Little Prince the Fox explains that taming—patience, attention, responsibility—makes the essential visible to the heart.