If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
I never could bear the idea of anyone's expecting something from me. It always made me want to do just the opposite.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a resistance to external expectations and a desire for autonomy in one's actions.
Jean-Paul Sartre's quote reflects the existentialist idea that individuals should not be burdened by the expectations and desires of others. Instead, he suggests that the pressure to conform to others' anticipations often leads him to act in rebellion against those expectations. This highlights a fundamental struggle for personal freedom and authenticity in the face of societal norms and pressures.
Themes
ExpectationsAutonomyRebellionFreedomAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussing existentialism, this quote can illustrate the importance of personal choice.
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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