Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir
Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir; 9 January 1908 – 14 April 1986) was a French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist and social theorist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, she had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth9 January 1908
CountryFrance
eye no-confidence ifs
You have never had any confidence in him. And if he has no confidence in himself it is because he sees himself through your eyes.
memories husband attitude
My worst mistake has been not grasping that time goes by. It was going by and there I was, set in the attitude of the ideal wife of an ideal husband. Instead of bringing our sexual relationship to life again I brooded happily over memories of our former nights together.
individuality talent social
However gifted an individual is at the outset, if his or her talents cannot be developed because of his or her social condition, because of the surrounding circumstances, these talents will be still-born.
fall dust one-day
She would never change, but one day at the touch of a fingertip she would fall to dust.
love romantic space
She was ready to deny the existence of space and time rather than admit that love might not be eternal.
couple independent men
To emancipate woman is to refuse to confine her to the relations she bears to man, not to deny them to her; let her have her independent existence and she will continue nonetheless to exist for him also: mutually recognising each other as subject, each will yet remain for the other an other...when we abolish the slavery of half of humanity, together with the whole system of hypocrisy that it implies, then the 'division' of humanity will reveal its genuine significance and the human couple will find its true form.
inspirational freedom 4th-of-july
I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom.
able you-like-it given
To be free is not to have the power to do anything you like; it is to be able to surpass the given toward an open future.
men arrogance arrogant
No one is more arrogant toward women, more aggressive or scornful, than the man who is anxious about his virility.
lying sleep dust
Eating, sleeping, cleaning - the years no longer rise up toward heaven, they lie spread out ahead, gray and identical. The battle against dust and dirt is never won. Washing, ironing, sweeping, ferreting out rolls of lint from under wardrobes - all this halting of decay is also the denial of life; for time simultaneously creates and destroys, and only its negative aspect concerns the housekeeper.
war historical oppression
All oppression creates a state of war.
life-and-love intelligent feminist
I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely. No one knows me or loves me completely. I have only myself
daughter father expectations
Fathers never have exactly the daughters they want because they invent a notion a them that the daughters have to conform to.
love life kindness
One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion.