If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
It's just what people do when they're getting old, when they're sick of themselves and their life; they think of money and take care of themselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
As people grow older and face dissatisfaction, they often focus on material wealth and self-care.
This quote by Jean-Paul Sartre reflects on the human tendency to become introspective and materialistic as they age or face personal crises. It suggests that when individuals feel discontent with their lives, they may prioritize financial security and personal well-being over other values, revealing deeper existential concerns about identity and fulfillment.
Themes
AgingSelf-CareMaterialismDiscontentExistentialism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about aging and mental health in a lecture.
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.
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Night is falling: at dusk, you must have good eyesight to be able to tell the Good Lord from the Devil.
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