If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
He walked on in silence, the solitary sound of his footsteps echoing in his head, as in a deserted street, at dawn. His solitude was so complete, beneath a lovely sky as mellow and serene as a good conscience, amid that busy throng, that he was amazed at his own existence; he must be somebody else's nightmare, and whoever it was would certainly awaken soon.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote explores the profound feeling of solitude amidst a bustling world and the internal conflict of existence.
In this quote, Sartre delves into the experience of profound solitude that one can feel even in the midst of a crowd. The imagery of silent footsteps on a deserted street at dawn symbolizes a deep introspection where the individual grapples with their own existence, feeling as though they are a mere ghost or a figment of someone else's nightmare. This duality of being surrounded by life yet feeling immensely alone highlights the complex nature of human consciousness and the struggle to find one's identity in a chaotic world.
Themes
SolitudeExistenceIntrospectionLonelinessIdentityPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a philosophical discussion about existence and the nature of solitude.
More from Jean-Paul Sartre
All quotes →All 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.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
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
Similar quotes
Nothing could add to the horror of hell, except the presence of its creator, God. While I have life, as long as I draw breath, I shall deny with all my strength, and hate with every drop of my blood, this infinite lie.
Robert Green IngersollRead
The case against the notion of historical objectivity is like the case against international law, or international morality; that it does not exist.
Isaiah BerlinRead
People ask me why it is that when I portray the 'angry young man' on screen, I really look angry. They reason that it is due to some suppression in my childhood. But, it's just that I can't help it; it's in my genes.
Amitabh BachchanRead
I like to borrow a metaphor from the great poet and mystic Rumi who talks about living like a drawing compass. One leg of the compass is static. It is fixed and rooted in a certain spot. Meanwhile, the other leg draws a huge wide circle around the first one, constantly moving. Just like that, one part of my writing is based in Istanbul. It has strong local roots. Yet at the same time the other part travels the whole wide world, feeling connected to several cities, cultures, and peoples.
Elif SafakRead
No one pays attention to these killings, but the secret of the world is hidden in them.
Roberto BolanoRead
He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful.
Mario PuzoRead