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In the face of an obstacle which is impossible to overcome, stubbornness is stupid.
Simone De Beauvoir
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes that persistence in the face of insurmountable challenges can be unwise.

Simone De Beauvoir's quote suggests that when confronted with obstacles that cannot be overcome, holding onto stubbornness can lead to foolishness rather than progress. It advocates for the wisdom of recognizing when to let go instead of forcing a struggle against the inevitable, encouraging a more thoughtful approach to challenges in life.

Themes

ObstacleStubbornnessWisdomAcceptanceChange

In practice

Example use cases

During a motivational talk about resilience, this quote can illustrate the importance of knowing when to adapt.

More from Simone De Beauvoir

If you live long enough, you'll see that every victory turns into a defeat.
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To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job.
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Sex pleasure in woman is a kind of magic spell; it demands complete abandon; if words or movements oppose the magic of caresses, the spell is broken.
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As long as there have been men and they have lived, they have all felt this tragic ambiguity of their condition, but as long as there have been philosophers and they have thought, most of them have tried to mask it.
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Few tasks are more like the torture of Sisyphus than housework, with its endless repetition: the clean becomes soiled, the soiled is made clean, over and over, day after day. The housewife wears herself out marking time: she makes nothing, simply perpetuates the present … Eating, sleeping, cleaning – the years no longer rise up towards heaven, they lie spread out ahead, grey and identical. The battle against dust and dirt is never won.
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