Literary Bits for June 21

 

Top 10 quotes from existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, author of L'Être et le Néant, born June 21, 1905:

Do you think that I count the days? There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk.

Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.

If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company.

Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat.

It's quite an undertaking to start loving somebody. You have to have energy, generosity, blindness. There is even a moment right at the start where you have to jump across an abyss: if you think about it you don't do it.

Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance.

Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.

Hell is—other people!

There may be more beautiful times, but this one is ours.

Life begins on the other side of despair.