If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
I exist. It's sweet, so sweet, so slow. And light: you'd think it floated all by itself. It stirs. It brushes by me, melts and vanishes. Gently, gently. There is bubbling water in my mouth. I swallow. It slides down my throat, it caresses me — and now it comes up again into my mouth. For ever I shall have a little pool of whitish water in my mouth - lying low - grazing my tongue. And this pool is still me. And the tongue. And the throat is me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the essence of existence and the sensory experience of being alive, emphasizing the delicacy and transitory nature of life.
In this passage, Jean-Paul Sartre explores the profound nature of existence through vivid sensory imagery. He illustrates how the experience of being, represented by the sensations of taste and touch, is both ephemeral and connected to one's identity. The reflective narrative conveys the beauty and complexity of existence, where every sensation is a reminder of the self, yet also transient, as moments come and go, creating a delicate interplay between being and the inevitable passage of time.
Themes
ExistenceSensationIdentityPhilosophyTransience
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical discussion about the nature of existence.
More from Jean-Paul Sartre
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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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