If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
I wanted my own words. But the ones I use have dragged through I don't know how many consciences.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the struggle for authentic self-expression amidst influences from others' thoughts and beliefs.
Jean-Paul Sartre expresses a profound desire for individuality and genuine expression in one's language. He acknowledges that the words he uses are not purely his own, as they have been shaped and altered by the thoughts and experiences of countless individuals, highlighting a desire to reclaim one's voice in a world filled with external influences.
Themes
AuthenticityExpressionLanguageIndividualityInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a discussion about the importance of personal voice in writing.
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.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
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.
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
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