If you live long enough, you'll see that every victory turns into a defeat.
Simone De BeauvoirRead
In the face of an obstacle which is impossible to overcome, stubbornness is stupid.
Interpretation
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.
In practice
During a motivational talk about resilience, this quote can illustrate the importance of knowing when to adapt.
If you live long enough, you'll see that every victory turns into a defeat.
Two separate beings, in different circumstances, face to face in freedom and seeking justification of their existence through one another, will always live an adventure full of risk and promise." (p. 248)
To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job.
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.
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.
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 β¦ Eating, sleeping, cleaning β 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.
I was faced with a choice: to deny my addiction and embrace that 'comfortably numb' but 'magicless' existence, or accept the burden of insight, take the road less travelled, and embark on the often painful journey to discover who I was and where I fit.
Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage
I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.
Remember that unjust critisism is often a disquised compliment.
The thing about light is that it really isnβt yours; itβs what you gather and shine back. And it gets more power from reflectiveness; if you sit still and take it in, it fills your cup, and then you can give it off yourself.
If all our agents would abridge their speeches one half, I am satisfied the effect produced would be much greater. The 'art of leaving off' at the right time, and in the right place, is one of the most difficult things to learn.
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