At times discreetly, at times disgustingly, I yielded to the most fatal temptation whenever I could no longer bear it: as a result of impatience, Orpheus lost Eurydice; as a result of impatience, I lost myself. Jean-Paul Sartre More Quotes by Jean-Paul Sartre More Quotes From Jean-Paul Sartre The way, applicable in our non-revolutionary societies, to prepare for the time when everyone will read, is to pose problems in the most radical and intransigent manner. This is what Alain Badiou has just done in Almagestes, where he puts language on trial with an intention Jean-Paul Sartre done trials way The public, too, has to make an effort in order to understand the writer who, though he renounce complacent obscurity, cannot always express his new-hidden thoughts lucidly and according to accepted models. Jean-Paul Sartre obscurity effort order Total war is no longer war waged by all members of one national community against all those of another. It is total... because it may well involve the whole world. Jean-Paul Sartre community war peace [Stéphane Mallarmé] theory of the hermetic is a mistake, but he can be only difficult to read when he has difficult things to say. Jean-Paul Sartre difficult theory mistake The recent experiences of pocketbooks prove this. I have changed my public since my works have been published in a smaller format. Jean-Paul Sartre format prove changed I receive letters from workers, from secretaries. . . . They are the most interesting ones. Jean-Paul Sartre workers letters interesting At that time [1954], as a result of political events, I was deeply preoccupied by my relations with the Communist Party. Jean-Paul Sartre events political party Listen to me: a family man is never a real family man. An assassin is never entirely assassin. They play a role, you understand. While a dead man, he is really dead. To be or not to be, right? Jean-Paul Sartre real play men To be responsible is to be the uncontested author of an event or thing. Jean-Paul Sartre being-responsible responsible events I had been playing with matches and burned a small rug. I was in the process of covering up my crime when suddenly God saw me. I felt His gaze inside my head and on my hands....I flew into a rage against so crude an indiscretion, I blasphemed....He never looked at me again....I had the more difficulty getting rid of Him the Holy Ghost in that He had installed Himself at the back of my head....I collared the Holy Ghost in the cellar and threw Him out. Jean-Paul Sartre covering god hands We are possessed by the things we possess. When I like an object, I always give it to someone. It isn't generosity-it's only because I want others to be enslaved by objects, not me. Jean-Paul Sartre generosity want giving To choose this or that is to affirm at the same time the value of what we choose, because we can never choose evil. We always choose the good, and nothing can be good for us without being Jean-Paul Sartre values be-good evil Ah! How I hate the crimes of the new generation: they are dry and sterile as darnel. Jean-Paul Sartre dry generations hate I know. I know that I shall never again meet anything or anybody who will inspire me with passion. You know, it's quite a job starting to love somebody. You have to have energy, generosity, blindness. There is even a moment, in the very beginning, when you have to jump across a precipice: if you think about it you don't do it. I know I'll never jump again. Jean-Paul Sartre passion jobs thinking I distrust the incommunicable; it is the source of all violence Jean-Paul Sartre source violence justice It is certain that we cannot escape anguish, for we are anguish. Jean-Paul Sartre anguish existentialism certain I do not feel that I am the product of chance, a speck of dust in the universe, but someone who was expected, prepared, prefigured. In short, a being whom only a Creator could put here; and this idea of a creating hand refers to God. Jean-Paul Sartre dust hands ideas Everything comes to us from others. To Be is to belong to someone. Jean-Paul Sartre true-love funny-marriage love I know only one Church: it is the society of men. Jean-Paul Sartre church knows men I am a man, Jupiter, and each man must invent his own path. Jean-Paul Sartre jupiter path men