If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
Never have I thought that I was the happy possessor of a "talent;" my sole concern has been to save myself by work and faith.
Interpretation
Sartre emphasizes the importance of hard work and faith over innate talent for achieving fulfillment.
In this quote, Jean-Paul Sartre reflects on the notion that he does not attribute his achievements to any inherent talent but instead to his dedication to hard work and a belief in himself. This perspective highlights the value of perseverance and faith in overcoming challenges and finding happiness, suggesting that personal effort and belief are key to personal success rather than relying solely on natural abilities.
In practice
In a motivational speech about the importance of perseverance in achieving goals.
If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
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.
If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company.
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.
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.
Night is falling: at dusk, you must have good eyesight to be able to tell the Good Lord from the Devil.
Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing.
Giving is the secret of abundance.
Be thankful for the thorns and thistles, which keep you from being in love with this world, and becoming an idolater.
Holding on to anything blocks wisdom.
Talent is culture with insolence.
All your scholarship, all your study of Shakespeare and Wordsworth would be in vain, if at the same time you do not build your character, and attain mastery over your thoughts and actions.
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