Jean-Paul Sartre was a French Philosopher, writer, political activist, novelist, playwright and literary critic. Born on the 21st of June 1905 in Paris he grew up in Meudon with his mother and grandfather after his father died and it was there that he was introduced to classical literature at a very early age by his grandfather.
Although you may not be familiar with his work, and you might not even recognise his name, Sartre is somebody whom you will have probably either quoted, or have heard quoted quite often, with the most recent coming after the attacks at the Charlie Hebdo Headquarters. After the attack it surfaced that victim Stéphane Charbonnier was quoted as saying in a 2012 interview, “I am not afraid of reprisals, I have no children, no wife, no car, no debt. It might sound a bit pompous, but I’d prefer to die on my feet than to live on my knees.“, the latter being directly attributable to Sartre.
A fascinating philosopher, prankster and author of many pieces of fiction and nonfiction, plays and essays we have picked some of our favourite Quotes from Sartre.
“If you’re lonely when you’re alone, you’re in bad company.”
“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.”
“Better to die on one’s feet than to live on one’s knees.”
“When the rich wage war it’s the poor who die.”
“Three o’clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.”
“All that I know about my life, it seems, I have learned in books.”
“Man is condemned to be free. Condemned because he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment he is thrown into this world he is responsible for everything he does.”
“To know what life is worth you have to risk it once in a while.”
“I found the human heart empty and insipid everywhere except in books.”
“I do not think therefore I am a moustache.”
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