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A man attaches himself to woman -- not to enjoy her, but to enjoy himself.
Simone De Beauvoir
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote implies that men often seek relationships with women for their own gratification rather than for genuine connection.

Simone De Beauvoir's quote suggests that many men enter relationships not purely for the companionship or love of the woman, but to fulfill their own desires and reflect their own needs. This perspective can highlight the often selfish motives behind romantic attachments and invites a deeper examination of how societal norms may influence personal relationships.

Themes

RelationshipsSelfishnessLoveHuman Nature

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in discussions about the dynamics of modern relationships during a seminar on gender studies.

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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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