If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
I confused things with their names: that is belief.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Belief often stems from a misunderstanding of concepts and their true nature.
In this quote, Sartre suggests that our beliefs are sometimes based on the superficial labels or names we assign to things, rather than a deeper understanding of their essence. This implies that confusion arises when we equate names with the actual reality they represent, urging us to look beyond surface-level definitions to grasp the true nature of our beliefs and experiences.
Themes
BeliefUnderstandingPerceptionConfusionPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical debate, one might quote Sartre to illustrate how misconceptions can shape our beliefs.
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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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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