If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
I was escaping from Nature and at last becoming myself, that Other whom I was aspiring to be in the eyes of others.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle between societal expectations and personal identity.
In this quote, Jean-Paul Sartre expresses the idea that individuals often feel compelled to conform to societal norms and expectations, which can lead them to lose sight of their true selves. The phrase 'escaping from Nature' suggests a desire to transcend inherent qualities or instincts in favor of an identity shaped by external influences, ultimately highlighting the philosophical conflict between authenticity and the façade one presents to the world.
Themes
IdentitySocietyAuthenticitySelf-DiscoveryPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of self-acceptance at a personal development workshop.
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.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
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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I write a manifesto and I want nothing, yet I say certain things, and in principle I am against manifestoes, as I am also against principles.
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