“If there’s life on other planets,
then the earth is the Universe’s insane asylum.”
Voltaire
Okay, so let me tell you about Voltaire. Picture this: it’s the 1700s, and there’s this guy in France named François-Marie Arouet, but he’s like, “That name’s too basic,” so he rebrands as Voltaire. He’s basically the ultimate rebel intellectual of his time. Think of him as the OG troublemaker who used his words instead of TikToks to roast people and call out injustice.
Voltaire was a writer, philosopher, and all-around smarty-pants. He wrote plays, poems, essays, and letters (a ton of letters—like, thousands). What made him stand out was his vibe. He wasn’t just out there lecturing people; he had this sharp wit and sarcastic humor that made his critiques hit hard but also made them entertaining. You know how you love a good meme that drags someone who totally deserves it? That was Voltaire, except his memes were like 5,000-word essays.
He was all about freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the idea that people should use reason instead of just blindly following traditions or authority. Honestly, he’d probably get banned on Twitter every other week if he lived today because he did not hold back. He’d drag kings, the church, and pretty much anyone abusing their power. Naturally, this got him in trouble—a lot. He got jailed, exiled, and had his works banned more times than you’d think possible, but that just made him double down.
One of his most famous works is Candide, a book that’s kinda like if “The Hunger Games” met a philosophical comedy. It’s about this guy who goes through all these awful things but keeps being told, “It’s all for the best.” Voltaire was like, “Yeah, no, life isn’t perfect, and pretending it is doesn’t help anyone.” It’s kind of like him telling everyone to stop being so fake-positive and actually deal with real problems.
What I love about Voltaire is how fearless he was. He knew his words had power, and he used them to shake things up. He believed in standing up for what’s right, even when it was risky. And honestly? That’s the kind of energy we all need more of. So yeah, Voltaire was pretty much a legend, and his ideas still slap today.
