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.
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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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