If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
A lost battle is a battle one thinks one has lost.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A defeat is largely a matter of perception; believing you have lost can be as significant as the loss itself.
Jean-Paul Sartre's quote highlights the psychological aspect of defeat, suggesting that one's mindset and interpretation of events can shape their experience of success and failure. If a person believes they have lost, they may as well have lost, as their perception can dictate their resolve to continue fighting and striving for victory.
Themes
DefeatPerceptionMindsetBattleLoss
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about resilience and overcoming challenges.
More from Jean-Paul Sartre
All quotes βAll I want is' - and he uttered the final words through clenched teeth and with a sort of shame - 'to retain my freedom.' I should myself have thought,' said Jacques, 'that freedom consisted in frankly confronting situations into which one had deliberately entered, and accepting all one's responsibilities. But that, no doubt, is not your view.
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If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company.
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A kiss without a moustache, they said then, is like an egg without salt; I will add to it: and it is like Good without Evil.
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I wanted pure love: foolishness; to love one another is to hate a common enemy: I will thus espouse your hatred. I wanted Good: nonsense; on this earth and in these times, Good and Bad are inseparable: I accept to be evil in order to become good.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
Night is falling: at dusk, you must have good eyesight to be able to tell the Good Lord from the Devil.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
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