Rivers are roads which move, and which carry us whither we desire to go.

Pascal’s image treats a river as a kind of naturally powered highway: unlike a fixed road, it “moves,” carrying travelers and goods along with its current. The line highlights how human purposes often align with (and depend upon) forces outside our control—nature’s motion becomes a vehicle for intention. Read more broadly, it can serve as a metaphor for any system whose inherent momentum transports us—custom, habit, institutions, or time itself—suggesting both convenience and a subtle surrender of agency. The aphorism’s elegance lies in its double perspective: rivers are instruments we use, yet they also use us by setting the terms of movement.